Patent ID: 7968847

Claim:
A medical instrument for the alternative attachment of a plurality of components, each of which is provided for an examination or treatment, the medical instrument comprising: a medical device that is operable to emit an infrared signal that is reflected by an attached component, the medical device including a detection area comprising infrared reflection sensors that are operable to detect the infrared signal reflected by the attached component, such that the medical device is operable to determine one or more of the infrared reflection sensors that detect a reflected signal, wherein the attached component comprises a reflection area comprising reflectors that reflect the infrared signal, the reflectors arranged according to a reflection pattern characteristic for the attached component that defines, for the reflection area, any combination of reflective sections and non-reflective sections, wherein the reflection area substantially corresponds to the detection area of the medical device, and wherein the medical device is configured to identify the attached component according to the one or more infrared reflection sensors that detect the reflected signal.