Patent ID: 8271135

Claim:
An apparatus for holding a medical device, comprising: an arm unit spatially movable for spatially moving the medical device; an operation unit configured to be manually gripped by an operator for moving the arm unit, mechanically connected to both the arm unit and the medical device such that a movement of the operation unit by the operator leads to movements of both the arm unit and the medical device, and equipped with a plurality of switches to be operated by a hand of the operator which hand grips the operation unit when the medical device requires to be moved spatially; a determination unit configured to determine whether or not there is provided a predetermined switch operated state where the plurality of switches are operated within a predetermined period of time starting from a time instant at which one of the plurality of switches is first operated; and a movement controller configured to prohibit the arm unit from moving spatially even when the operator manually operates the switches, unless the determination unit determines that the predetermined switch operated state has been provided, wherein the operation unit is equipped a holder being gripped by the operator and having both ends, one end of the holder connected to part of the arm unit and the other end of the holder holding the medical device; and wherein the arm unit is equipped with an arm having both ends one of which is secured to a fixed portion, having joints being partly arranged in the arm, having brakes placed in the joints so as to be unlocked when the predetermined switch operated state has been provided, and selectively enabling the brakes to be locked or unlocked in response to a control signal, the plurality of switches are arranged to the holder and are configured to selectively command the brakes in the joints to be locked or unlocked; wherein the plurality of switches include a first switch and a second switch which are operated by the operator in one hand for moving the arm unit, and the predetermined switch operated state is a state where one of the first and second switches is first operated and the other is then operated within the predetermined period of time starting from a time instant when the one of the first and second switches is operated, and wherein the determination unit includes determination means determining the improperly operated state by detecting a state in which either one of the operation members is operated and the other one is operated within the predetermined period of time starting from the operation at the one of the operation members.