Importance

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Abstract

An endoscopic surgical instrument includes a proximal handle assembly coupled to a relatively long coil and to a relatively long pull wire extending through the long coil, and a distal jaw assembly coupled to a relatively short coil and to a relatively short pull wire extending through the short coil. The distal ends of the long coil and pull wire are provided with a first coupling device and the proximal ends of the short coil and pull wire are provided with a second coupling device which is mateable with the first coupling device. The first and second coupling devices couple the distal end of the long coil with the proximal end of the short coil and the distal end of the long pull wire with the proximal end of the short pull wire. The presently preferred pull wire coupling includes a ball and socket coupling and the presently preferred coil coupling includes a bayonet coupling. A rigid endoscopic surgical instrument with a detachable end effector assembly is also disclosed. The design of the coupling devices permits the coupling devices to be relatively small, having an overall outer diameter of two to three millimeters.

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First Claim