Patent ID: 7189246

Claim:
A medical instrument holding device capable of holding a medical instrument having a long member to be inserted into the interior of a subject, comprising: a grasping member having a longitudinal shaft and to be grasped by an operator, a holding portion provided on the grasping member and capable of holding the medical instrument so as to extend the long member in a direction different from that of the longitudinal shaft of the grasping member, a ball joint element arranged above or below the axis of the longitudinal shaft of the grasping member and connected to the grasping member, an arm portion having a movable free end, a ball joint acceptant portion supporting the ball joint element provided on the free end of the arm portion in a ball joint manner, and a shaft member which connects a structure comprising the medical instrument and the grasping member to the ball joint element, the shaft member connecting the ball joint element and the structure on a substantially straight line connecting between a center of gravity G of the structure and a position P of a ball center of the ball joint element, wherein the substantially straight line connecting between the center of gravity G of the structure and the position P of the ball center of the ball joint element extends in a direction different from the longitudinal shaft of the grasping member.