Surgical instrument with embedded coding element

摘要

A surgical instrument includes a plastic hub which is received by a handpiece for operating the instrument. The plastic hub includes a wall that encloses a passage that receives a surgical tool-carrying member, and at least one detectable coding element is embedded at a selected circumferential position in the wall. For example, the coding element is embedded in a hole disposed in the wall. Alternatively, the coding element is molded into the wall during injection molding of the hub. The coding element is, for example, a magnet.