Single‐use or reusable? Often, both options are required in medical applications. For example, some connectors are disposed of after surgery, while others can be used more than once. Microchips can help to keep track of the respective devices.
ODU integrates EEPROMs into the connector for this purpose. When mating the connector and the receptacle, e. g., when connecting an endoscope to a device, the two parts recognize each other and „know“ whether they belong together.
In addition, you can specify a fixed number of mating cycles that must not be exceeded. If this number is 10, for example, a warning tone will sound during the eleventh mating cycle. In addition, exact product and production codes are stored on the memory chip – these ensure copy protection and prevent any secondary use. All connectors in the ODU MEDI‐SNAP® and ODU MINI‐SNAP® series are available with integrated EEPROMs.