Patent ID: 8409173

Claim:
A holding device for medical purposes having a carrier arm on whose distal end at least one medical instrument can be secured and having at least one joint for positioning the carrier arm and/or the medical instrument, so that the at least one joint can be transferred between a position that releases the at least one joint and a position that blocks the at least one joint and so that the at least one joint is coupled by means of a capacity-sensitive electrical circuit with a capacitive touch sensor to activate the at least one joint, wherein the medical instrument that is positioned on the distal end of the carrier arm is mounted in an adjustable instrument intake, wherein the instrument intake is coupled likewise with the touch sensor and wherein the touch sensor is coupled with the medical instrument that is mounted on the distal end of the carrier arm in such a way that on the one hand the at least one joint as well as the adjustable instrument intake are automatically released at the moment when the operator touches a touch sensitive surface of the medical instrument and on the other hand the at least one joint as well as the adjustable instrument intake are automatically locked at the moment when the operator releases the touch sensitive surface of the medical instrument.