Holder for Medical Instruments

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a holder for medical instruments, and in particular to a holder of the type comprising a support element attachable to a part of a patient's body, on which is secured a carrier for fixedly clampable instruments such as an endoscope.

2. Description of the Prior Art

German Utility Model Specification 7824396 discloses an instrument holder of the aforementioned type in which the support element comprises a head strap with a balljoint mounting and a clamping device for an endoscope, which may optionally be set in front of the left or right eye of the physician, without the position of the endoscope having to be retained.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an instrument holder of the aforementioned with its support constructed in such a way that a plurality of medical instruments may be connected thereto and immobilised with respect to the point of therapy, and wherein accidental changes in position caused by unintentional movements are prevented.

This object is achieved in accordance with the invention in that an instrument holder of the aforementioned type has a support element which has fixedly secured thereto at least one rigid rail with couplings thereon by means of which endoscopes, auxiliary instruments and the like can be adjustably secured to the rail.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a sideview of an instrument holder in accordance with the invention with an endoscope fitted;

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the holder of FIG. 1 and

FIG. 3 shows a sideview of a coupling element on a rail in an enlarged detail of the holder of FIG. 1.

The instrument holder comprises a band-shaped support element 1, for example in the form of a strap or hoop. This element may for example be laid around the head, the thigh or another part of the body of a patient and secured for example by means of radially adjustable peripherally distributed screws 2. The screws 2 may be provided with surface-bearing contact means where the holder is to be secured to a thigh or other soft part of the body.

The support element 1 is firmly secured to at least one rigid rail 3 on which is mounted a plurality of couplings 4. These couplings 4 have an incision 5 at one side to receive the rail 3, so that the required number of couplings 4 may be installed in a simple manner on rail 3, which is of non-circular cross-section, on pivoted to the desired annular position relative to the rail and immobilised by means of a screw 6. Instead of the screw 6, spring-loaded detent balls or catches may be provided. Each coupling 4 is provided with an intermediate member 7 which is advantageously made partially flexible or with an articulation, so that an instrument mounting 8 adjustably connected thereto may be moved to any desired position. In the case of FIG. 1, the mounting 8 is so constructed that an endoscope 10 passed through it and is secured to the mounts of by means of a clamping ring 9. To this end, the intermediate member 7 may be connected to the mounting 8 at 13 by means of a screw joint or any other suitable connection. The mounting 8 is appropriately constructed to correspond to other auxiliary instruments or devices.

The support element 1, which may suitably be constructed as a metal strap, is provided furthermore with carriers 11 which advantageously are received on the holding element in a looped manner and are displaceable along the element. These carriers serve the purpose of supporting elongate flexible supply means 12 such as hoses, cables and light guides and of adjusting these to an advantageous position These carriers may also be secured rigidly on the holding strap or, as shown in FIG. 1, be formed integrally with the support element.

If the support element for medical instruments is produced in the form of a resilient helical coil, the fastening devices 2 may be omitted. The immobilisation on the circumference of a body member is then performed by initially expanding the coil against its spring force, manoeuvering it over the body member in question and thereafter releasing the spring whereby the coil is immobilised on the surface of the body.

In another embodiment of the holder according to the invention, it may be envisaged to replace the holding strap by a hoop, to which end the rail 3 for attachment of the coupling 4 will be integrated in the circumference of the hoop and have a matching configuration.

As an alternative, a holding strap, for example of metal or rigid plastics material, could extend around less than the whole circumference of the body member and have, its free ends connected together by a stretchable connection such as an elasticated strap or a pair of such straps with a buckle or other connection between them.