Originally Published EMDM
May 2003
Product Update
Cables, Connectors, and Wires |
Fischer Connectors S.A.
Connectors have been developed to help medical device OEMs meet the requirements of standards such as EN 60601-1 and ensure patient safety. Fischer Connecters S.A. (Apples, Switzerland) routinely engineers compact connectors that meet international guidelines related to air clearance and creepage distances between contacts or contact groups. For example, the pictured product shows a 28-mm-diam connector with >32 mm clearance between the two high-voltage contacts and group of signal contacts. It features EMC protection in compliance with current norms. Crimp terminations can be specified.
The company prides itself on being attentive to the needs of its customers in the medical device industry, says sales manager Daniel Spycher. That dialogue has led to the development of hybrid connectors, for which there has been growing demand over the last few years, says Spycher.
One recent custom configuration combines coaxial, power, fibre-optic, and other contacts. The multifunctional Series 4032 is the company’s off-the-shelf hybrid solution for use in miniature equipment and other applications. The Series 4032 connectors incorporate 2 to 19 gold-plated contacts in a 14.5-mm-diam package. The line features robust signal density, a reliable signal path, and a SureGrip plastic housing that weighs 60% less than comparable metal models. Rated IP 68, the connectors can withstand more than 5000 mating cycles.
BizLink Technology
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A company with design and engineering facilities in the United States and Europe and manufacturing plants in China, Mexico, and Malaysia specializes in cables, connectors, wire harnesses, and fibre-optic products. BizLink Technology (Dublin) serves the medical device and other industries by providing customers with early design-in capability and low-cost manufacturing.
The company supplies a range of interconnect products to manufacturers of medical imaging equipment, from x-ray and MRI machines to CT equipment, says Jim Scanlon, vice president of sales and marketing at the company’s US office. The firm also manufactures interconnect products to support OEM design specifications. “These include complex wire harnesses that perform internal interconnect functions to voltage gantry cable assemblies that connect CT scanners to processing units and CT tables,” says Scanlon.
The firm is also involved in the development of serial Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) products, which use thinner, more flexible cables and fewer connector pins than conventional parallel ATA technology. The serial architecture improves airflow and allows for easier board routing.
Leoni Tailor-Made Cable
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Extremely flexible flat cables and hybrid cable systems that process multiple data streams in a single package have been developed for medical diagnostic applications. They are among the newest products from Leoni Tailor-Made Cable (Georgensgmünd, Germany).
High-performance flex (HPF) cables are designed to withstand tens of millions of flex cycles over a small bend radius. The low profile of flat cables allows a smaller bend radius than conventional round cables. The use of low-friction and self-lubricating tapes further enhances the products’ flexibility while reducing bending forces. Consequently, HPF cables require less force to quickly position moving parts than alternative products.
Conductors and cable components can be mixed and matched, and custom hybrid designs enable integration of a range of components from single discreet wires to fibre optics. Since all elements in a flat cable are of identical length, mechanical stress is evenly distributed among all the conductors, thus extending service life.
The company’s hybrid cable systems combine up to four streams of diagnostic data in a single round cable. Designed for use with an all-in-one patient-monitoring system, the cable can measure and transmit SPO2, ECG, temperature, and blood pressure data. The smooth cable jacket is made from a biocompatible and US FDA–approved compound. The cable construction includes special tinsel conductors, flexible shields, and semiconductive plastics; a flexible blood pressure tube is included for the four-parameter model.
Omnetics Connector Corp.
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A manufacturer of miniaturized interconnect systems suited for high-tech applications offers microminiature circular connectors with a Santoprene overmould for embedded electronics and catheter applications. Omentics Connector Corp. (Minneapolis, MN, USA) focuses on size, ease of use, and reliability for medical OEMs.
The connectors comprise beryllium-copper pins that meet military specifications mated with seamless screw-machined sockets. Standard microminiature circular connectors without an overmould are available in three shell sizes and with as many as 27 positions. All of the company’s connectors are suited for custom overmoulding based on customer requirements.
Omnetics’s expertise in overmoulding is a key benefit to device OEMs, according to director of technology Bob Stanton. “One of the primary challenges in supplying the medical market is working through the special overmouldings and fitting the connectors inside the medical instrument or medical probe,” says Stanton. Having the resources and expertise to achieve this in-house is one of the company’s main strengths, he adds.
Precision Interconnect
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Preengineered coaxial cable assemblies include cable-jacket and flex-relief materials suitable for autoclavable or low-temperature sterilization processes. The assemblies were developed by Precision Interconnect (Dunblane, UK) to relieve product development and lead-time pressures for its OEM customers.
True 101- and 53-pF/m coaxial configurations form the basis of the platform. The entire interconnect system is designed to maintain product crosstalk at less than –30 dB at 10 MHz on finished assemblies. This is substantially below the inherent acoustic crosstalk levels found in most transducers, according to the company. The assemblies are designed for continuous end-to-end shielding, including the connector actuation shaft. Each enclosure also houses a nickel ferrite to help suppress noise in the 20–300-MHz ranges. Each standard assembly is 2.5 m long.
ODU-Steckverbindungssysteme GmbH & Co. KG
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Designed for use with medical equipment, a miniature cylindrical connector is made almost entirely of plastic. The Medi-Snap, developed by ODU-Steckverbindungssysteme GmbH & Co. KG (Mühldorf/Inn, Germany), employs the company’s push-pull technology for quick and easy mating.
Available with solder or print terminations, the connector can withstand operating temperatures from –40° to 120° C and can be exposed to maximum temperatures of 140°C for short periods of time. It achieves more than 1000 mating cycles.
The Medi-Snap is currently only available in an IP 50 format. Other sizes may become available in the future. A catalogue devoted to the product with complete technical specifications is available.
Tyco Electronics
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A pair of Micro CPC connectors are available in wire-to-wire, wire-to-board, or wire-to-panel versions. The contact systems are supplied by Tyco Electronics (Harrisburg, PA, USA).
A spring-probe contact arrangement is available for high-reliability applications such as medical equipment. Spring-probe contacts are screw machined and provide a redundant current path. They are rated for up to 5000 mating cycles. For fewer mating cycles, a screw-machined precision pin-and-socket contact system is available. With the pin-and-socket arrangement, up to 500 mating cycles are possible. The pin-and-socket design provides the reliability necessary for medical applications. Both contact styles have gold-plated finishes.
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