A method and apparatus accurately maintains alignment of a surgical instrument.
The apparatus includes a base with an attached movable member. The movable member
includes a passage forming a portion of a trajectory path. A relaxable or rigid
material has a similar passage in common with the passage of the movable member.
If a relaxable material is used, the passage portion of the relaxable region is
held open by an inserted stem removably attached to the movable member. The instrument
is then inserted into the center of the stem and thus into the trajectory path.
The stem is removed by withdrawing it from the movable member over the proximal
portion of the instrument. This releases the relaxable region to tightly hold the
instrument in place. Alternatively, using a relaxable or rigid component, the component
is slid laterally to at least partially offset a passage through the component
from the passage of the movable member to reduce a combined effective area of the
passages and to grasp an instrument.
