Abstract: A surgical instrument is provided which is insertable through an endoscopic tube to enable a surgeon to perform a surgical technique inside a body cavity. The surgical instrument includes a shaft with a pivotally mounted tip attached thereto, the shaft extending from a handle for gripping the instrument for insertion to the body cavity. The tip of the shaft is adjustable to different angular orientations relative to the support shaft and is rotatable at any angular orientation of the tip. The support shaft may be rotatable about its longitudinal axis relative to the handle, or it may be fixed with respect to the handle, in which case the handle may be rotated to rotate the shaft inside the body cavity. In one embodiment, the surgical instrument comprises an endoscopic stapling device and the tip of the instrument comprises a staple cartridge which is rotatable 360.degree. about its axes after the cartridge has been articulated with respect to the support shaft.

Abstract: A conduit joint is shown and described having ingress and egress ports respectively on a first and second conduits. The ports open to a substantially matching area of relatively movable, pneumatic joinder, and have tapered chambers leading therefrom. A method of passing fluids from one conduit through an articulate joint to a second conduit in a helical path having no flow restriction, chamber expansion or the like, is also described.