A medical system including a support structure including a proximal link and a distal link, and a base joint coupling the proximal link of the support structure to a base, wherein the proximal link is configured to rotate about a first axis associated with the base joint. The system also includes a linkage mechanism coupling the proximal link to the distal link. The system also includes an instrument support coupled to the distal link, wherein the instrument support has an orientation relative to the base in a first configuration of the support structure, and wherein the linkage mechanism maintains the orientation of the instrument support relative to the base as the support structure is moved into a second configuration in which the support structure is rotated relative to the base about the first axis and the distal link is extended from the proximal link.

There is provided a medical observation device, including: an observation unit configured to perform magnified observation of a surgical site; a vibration sensor that detects a vibration of the observation unit; a support unit that supports the observation unit; and a control unit that conducts an image shake correction that corrects a shake in an image observed by the observation unit, based on a detection value from the vibration sensor.

A surgical cart for supporting a robotic arm includes a vertically-extending support column, a carriage movably coupled to the support column and configured to carry a robotic arm, and a braking mechanism.

A weight balance method of a surgical microscope is able to automatically align, in response to a switching operation, a center of gravity G of the surgical microscope 5 with a rotary shaft S. A weight balance of the surgical microscope is easily attained only by slanting the surgical microscope, and therefore, no part of the surgical microscope protrudes upward to interfere with a supporting structure of the surgical microscope.

The present invention relates to a stand equipped with a counterbalance unit, i.e., a stand consisting of links, joints, a front link, and a counterbalance unit. Therefore, even when various medical apparatuses including such as a microscope, etc. are used, a stable counterbalance can be maintained and the degree of freedom of movements of the medical apparatus can be easily adjusted according to the purpose of users.

The invention relates to a balancing device (14) for balancing a microscope (12) with respect to a rotation axis (1000), the balancing device (14) comprising a balancing weight (16) arranged around and assigned to the rotation axis (1000), such that the balancing weight (16) is rotatable around the rotation axis (1000), wherein a center of mass of the balancing weight (16) is arranged apart from the rotation axis (1000). The balancing device (14) further comprises a lever (18) for indicating a torque acting on the balancing device (14) and/or on the balancing weight (16), wherein the lever (18) is arranged around and assigned to the rotation axis (1000) to be rotatable around the rotation axis (1000), wherein the lever (18) extends within the balancing weight (16) and is movable by the torque within a predetermined range with respect to the balancing weight (16), and wherein an electrical potential of the lever (18) is set to a predetermined first potential value. Furthermore, the balancing device (14) comprises at least one stopper element (32), which is immobile with respect to the balancing weight (16) and forms at least one end point of the range of the lever (18), wherein the stopper element (32) and the lever (18) are in electrical contact when the lever (18) is arranged at the at least one end point of the range and wherein the lever (18) and the stopper element (32) are electrically isolated from each other when the lever (18) is apart from the at least one end point. In addition, the balancing device comprises control means configured to set an electrical potential of the stopper element (32) to a predetermined second potential value different from the first potential value at least when the lever (18) is apart from the at least one end point, to observe the electrical potential of the stopper element (32) and/or of the lever (18) and to indicate the lever (18) being arranged at the first end point when the electrical potential of the stopper element (32) departs from the predetermined second potential value and/or when the electrical potential of the lever (18) departs from the predetermined first potential value. The invention further relates to a stand (10) for a microscope (12) and to a method for balancing a microscope (12).

The invention relates to a retaining device for an instrument, comprising at least one joint having at least two parts that can be moved relative to each other and at least one drive unit associated with the joint. The drive unit is designed to move the joint by driving at least one of the parts of the joint that can be moved relative to each other. The retaining device also comprises a securing device, which has a locking mechanism associated with the joint and a release unit that can be activated, wherein the locking mechanism interacts with the release unit in such a way that the locking mechanism holds the joint in a locked position as long as the release unit is not activated. The securing device is designed to permit a motion of the joint out of the particular locked position within a specified range of motion even if the release unit is not activated. The invention further relates to a corresponding securing device for a retaining device and to an operating method for said securing device.

A stand includes first to fourth links, first to fourth joints, a front link, first to fifth extension links, and first to fourth extension joints. The first to fourth links are arranged in a parallelogram configuration, wherein the first and third links are arranged on opposite sides and the second and fourth joints are arranged in a diagonal direction. The front link extends from the first link. The first extension link is rotatably connected to the second joint. The second extension link is rotatably connected to the first extension joint. The third extension link is rotatably connected to the second extension joint. The fourth extension link is arranged between the third extension joint and the fourth extension joint. The fifth extension link is arranged between the first joint and the second extension joint. The first, fourth, and fifth extension links are in parallel with one another.

A medical stand may include a first link, a second link parallel to the first link, a third link connected between one end of the first link and one end of the second link, a fourth link parallel to the third link and connected between the other end of the first link and the other end of the second link, a mounting arm extending from the other end of the first link, a variable balancing arm connected to at least one of the second link or the third link, a counterweight provided at a distal end of the variable balancing arm, a detector detecting a displacement of at least one of the first link, the second link, the third link, or the fourth link, and a controller generating the control signal to adjust the center-of-gravity position of the variable balancing arm in accordance with the displacement detected by the detector.

Provided is a medical observation device including: a microscope section that images a surgical site; a holding section that holds the microscope section on a tip end side; a base section to which a base end of the holding section is connected; and an operation section that is provided at the base section for performing various kinds of operating input.