A medical holding apparatus includes: a support including a plurality of arms, and a plurality of joints configured to connect the plurality of arms, the support being configured to support an imaging unit at a distal end thereof; a load applying mechanism arranged in at least one of the joints and configured to apply a resistance load against operation of the at least one of the joints to the support; and a processor comprising hardware, the processor being configured to: set torque to be applied by the load applying mechanism based on an operating state of the imaging unit; and apply a load corresponding to the set torque to the load applying mechanism when a rotation inhibit state of each of the arms of the support is released.

A balancing device for a rotary apparatus including a rotary body which is configured to pivot or swivel about at least one rotary shaft is provided. The balancing device includes a magnet assembly and a torque adjusting mechanism. The magnet assembly includes a combination of two or more magnets, and the torque adjusting mechanism is configured to adjust a torque generated by the combination of the two or more magnets. The balancing device generates an output torque in the form of a cosine curve or sine curve which optimally matches with an unbalancing torque of the rotary body. The balancing device has a small size and is invulnerable to fatigue failure.

Knuckle joint assembly for a medical device support system. The knuckle joint assembly includes a cartridge assembly that includes a cartridge housing and a rotary bearing. The cartridge housing includes a bore having a central axis and a bearing mount in the bore. The rotary bearing is press fitted in the bearing mount and configured to receive axially therethrough a spindle to rotatably support the spindle about the central axis. The knuckle joint assembly includes a retaining clip and a retaining pin. The retaining clip is selectively movable to disengage and engage a groove in a spindle to respectively support or release the spindle along a central axis. The retaining pin is movable between a first position to allow movement of the retaining clip between positions but prevent removal of the retaining clip, and a second position to block movement of the retaining clip from the engaged position.

A surgery-assisting device includes a robot arm that includes plural movable bodies that are operably connected in order in a connecting direction, a surgical instrument connected to a distal end of the robot arm, and one or more actuators that generate a driving force that operates one or more of the movable bodies. The movable bodies include one or more distal-side movable bodies that is provided distally in the connection direction, and one or more proximal-side movable bodies that is provided proximally in the connection direction. An operation tolerance of the one or more distal-side movable bodies is higher than an operation tolerance of the one or more proximal-side movable bodies.

An end effector arm for use with a surgical navigation system includes a base configured to attach to an end effector coupler of a surgical robot arm and a mechanical linkage. The mechanical linkage includes a first end rotatably coupled to the base and a second end opposite the first end, the second end configured to be removably coupled to a handheld surgical tool. The end effector arm further includes a spring mechanism configured to impart a variable rotational force on the mechanical linkage based on an angle of rotation of the mechanical linkage with respect to the base.

A hybrid, direct-control and robotic-assisted surgical system may have a stabilizing apparatus configured to at least partially support the weight of the surgical device and having comprising a device attachment unit configured to removably receive a surgical device having an elongate shaft and a distal tip. The stabilizing apparatus can be configured to constrain movement of the device attachment unit about a remote centre of motion. A handle may be mechanically attached to the device attachment unit and manual, Cartesian movement of the handle may results in corresponding Cartesian movement of the distal tip of the surgical device. A robotic assist system may include a sensor assembly configured to monitor at least a first attribute of the handle and generate a corresponding sensor signal, a controller communicably linked to the sensor assembly to receive the sensor signal and generate a corresponding primary control signal and a powered actuation unit communicably linked to the controller to receive the primary control signal and configured to actuate an end effector of the surgical device received in the device attachment unit based on the primary control signal.

An articulated arm for support of an extended flexible medical instrument includes: a segment rotationally mobile around an axis of rotation, where the mobile segment can either be rotationally locked or unlocked, a handgrip including: a distal holding part to be hand held, a proximal support part connecting the distal holding part to the remainder of the structure, and an actuator on the distal holding part locking and unlocking mobility of the segment in rotation around the axis. The locking and unlocking actuator extends over the main part of the length of the distal holding part such that: pressure of the user's hand griping the distal holding part directly creates contact with the actuator, sufficient for automatically unlocking mobility of the segment in rotation and release of the distal holding part terminates contact with the locking and unlocking actuator, sufficient for automatically locking mobility of the segment in rotation.

Examples relate to a surgical microscope system and a corresponding apparatus, method and computer program. The surgical microscope system comprises one or more sensors for providing sensor information about a balance of the surgical microscope system. The surgical microscope system comprises one or more brakes for holding at least one component of the surgical microscope system in place. The surgical microscope system comprises a surgical microscope. The surgical microscope system comprises a processing module, configured to process the sensor information. The processing module is configured to determine an information about the balance of the surgical microscope system. In some embodiments, the processing module is configured to provide a warning to a user of the surgical microscope system based on the information about the balance of the surgical microscope system. The warning indicates danger of imbalance in the surgical microscope system. Alternatively or additionally, the processing module may be configured to control a release of the one or more brakes based on the information about the balance of the surgical microscope system.

Implementations relate to a configurable counterbalance mechanism. In some implementations, a counterbalance apparatus includes a spring, a tension element coupled between the spring and a mechanical ground, a base element coupled to a load, and a configurable arm rotatably coupled to the base element. A first pulley and a second pulley are rotatably coupled to the configurable arm, the second pulley orbitable about the first axis, and the tension element is at least partially wrapped around the first pulley and the second pulley. The configurable arm is rotatably configurable at either a first orientation or a second orientation, where the first orientation is associated with a center of gravity of the load located on a first side of the counterbalance apparatus and the second orientation is associated with the center of gravity of the load located on a second side of the counterbalance apparatus opposite to the first side.

An endoscopic capsule system comprising: an endoscopic capsule having magnetic characteristics; an extracorporeal guiding and moving apparatus having a moveable multi-hinged cantilever arm which is pivotably mounted at a support stand at one end and at an effector having magnetic characteristics at the other end to move the endoscopic capsule in accordance with movement of the effector; a controller device to define the position and orientation of the endoscopic capsule relative to the effector, and a force and/or moment generation device or a braking device to generate counter forces and/or counter moments or braking forces against moving and/or guiding forces that are manually applied to the cantilever arm and/or effector in accordance with the actually defined position and/or orientation of the endoscopic capsule relative to the effector.