Surgical instrument support and method

An apparatus comprising:

• a surgical skull clamp;
• an articulated arm having distal and proximal ends, the proximal end having first structure;
• a lockable target ball rotatably mounted on the distal end of the articulated arm, the lockable ball having a diametric hole therein adapted to receive a surgical instrument;
• and
• a mount having second structure and receiving and securing the proximal end of the articulated arm, first structure on the articulated arm cooperating with the second structure on the mount to automatically align the proximal end of the articulated arm with the mount in a repeatable relationship, the mount being releasably attachable to the surgical skull clamp.

A method of performing a surgical procedure comprising:

• moving a distal end of an articulated arm having a target ball rotatably mounted therein to a desired position;
• locking the joints of the articulated arm to maintain the target ball at the desired position;
• rotating the target ball to a desired orientation;
• locking the target ball at the desired orientation;
• unclamping a proximal end of the articulated arm from a mount attached to a fixed structure, the proximal end of the articulated arm having a desired relationship with respect to the mount;
• removing the proximal end of the articulated arm from the mount;
• remounting the articulated arm in the mount such that first structure on the articulated arm cooperates with second structure on the mount to automatically align the proximal end of the articulated arm with the mount in the desired relationship, thereby automatically placing the target ball at the desired position and the desired orientation.