Articulatable surgical instrument with articulation joint including flexible exoskeleton arrangement

The invention discloses a surgical instrument. The surgical instrument has an articulation joint and an axially movable firing member. A constant velocity drive shaft assembly spans the articulation joint and is configured to apply rotational drive motion to a flexible drive member in contact with the firing member. The articulation joint is comprised of a movable exoskeleton piece comprised of a series of movably contiguous annular rib members that form a conduit for receiving a constant velocity drive shaft assembly therethrough. 本发明公开了一种外科器械，该外科器械具有关节运动接头和可轴向运动的击发构件。恒速驱动轴组件跨越关节运动接头并且被构造成能够向与击发构件相接的柔性驱动构件施加旋转驱动运动。关节运动接头由可动外骨骼件组成，该可动外骨骼件由一系列可动地相接的环形肋构件组成，这些环形肋构件形成用于接纳穿过其中的恒速驱动轴组件的管道。