Reprocessing indicators for medical instruments
A medical instrument including a body member and an indicator component. The indicator component includes a mechanism for identifying when reprocessing of the medical instrument has occurred.
1. A medical instrument, comprising:
a body member;
an indicator component, the indicator component is a non-critical, breakable component for identifying when reprocessing of the medical instrument has occurred, the non-critical, breakable component being necessarily broken during reprocessing and the breakable component is positioned along a seam of the body member within recesses formed along opposed surfaces of the medical instrument.
2. The medical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the body member is that of a surgical stapler.
3. The medical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the body member is that of a trocar.
4. The medical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the breakable component is a polycarbonate resin.
5. The medical instrument according to claim 4 , wherein the body member is that of a surgical stapler.
6. The medical instrument according to claim 4 , wherein the body member is that of a trocar.
7. The medical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the breakable component is rectangular with recesses formed on opposite sides thereof.
8. The medical instrument according to claim 7 , wherein the recesses are semi-circular recesses.