abstract |
A shaft assembly is disclosed comprising a shaft including a proximal end, a distal end, a longitudinal axis extending between the proximal end and the distal end, and an outer housing comprising a shaft radius defined with respect to the longitudinal axis. The shaft assembly further comprises an end effector comprising an end effector frame rotatably coupled to the shaft about a fixed articulation axis positioned laterally offset with respect to the longitudinal axis. The shaft assembly further comprises an articulation driver coupled to the end effector frame at an attachment location, wherein a lateral moment arm is defined between the attachment location and the fixed articulation axis, wherein the lateral moment arm is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the shaft assembly is configured such that a ratio of the shaft radius to the lateral moment arm is minimized. |