Patent attributes
An ultrasonic surgical instrument assembly has a base, a rigid probe shaft coupled at a proximal end to the base, a probe head at a distal end of the shaft, and a sheath having a rigid distal end portion surrounding the shaft. The shaft has a longitudinal axis and is operatively connectable to a source of ultrasonic vibrational energy. The head extends eccentrically in a transverse direction to one side of the shaft, the head having an operative tip or surface spaced laterally from the axis. The distal end portion of the sheath is provided in a side wall with an aperture, and the probe head is aligned with the aperture. The sheath is coupled at a proximal end to the base and is provided with a partially flexible section between the distal end portion of the sheath and the instrument assembly base, so that the distal end portion is pivotably deflectable transversely to the axis in response to a lateral force applied to the distal end portion, to enable an increased protrusion of the head through the aperture.
