Patent ID: 7846086

Claim:
A microscope support stand for holding a microscope to be used under sterile conditions comprising: an arm ( 1 ) to which the microscope ( 3 ) is to be indirectly or directly fixed and which has a holder portion for fixing a drape ( 9 ) in such a way that the microscope ( 3 ) and the holder portion are substantially air-tightly enclosed, a cable duct ( 2 ) in the arm ( 1 ) and having a front portion ( 10 ) forward from the holder portion for fixing the drape ( 9 ) and which is in communicating relationship with an intermediate space between the fixed drape ( 9 ) and the microscope ( 3 ) or the holder portion, the cable duct ( 2 ) further having a rear portion ( 12 ) rearward of the holder portion, a pumping-out device ( 15 ) which comprises a suction hose that is arranged at least partly in the interior of the cable duct ( 2 ) for pumping air out of the front portion ( 10 ) and the intermediate space between the drape ( 9 ) and the microscope ( 3 ) or the holder portion, and front and rear resiliently elastic seals ( 19 , 17 ) in sealing engagement with inner peripheral surface regions of the cable duct ( 2 ) across two axially spaced entire cross sections of the cable duct ( 2 ), each of the seals ( 19 , 17 ) including passages for cables and the suction hose ( 15 ) and being arranged in the cable duct ( 2 ) between the front portion ( 10 ) and the rear portion ( 12 ) and at a position substantially aligned with the holder portion of the arm ( 1 ) for fixing the drape ( 9 ) so that the seals ( 17 , 19 ) seal the front portion ( 10 ) from the rear portion ( 12 ) in a pumping-out operation by the pumping-out device ( 15 ) to prevent a flow of air from the rear portion ( 12 ) into the front portion ( 10 ) so that a lower output of the pumping-out device ( 15 ) is required to offset a make-up flow of air into the intermediate space.