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CONNECTORS DESIGNED TO TAKE ON OEMs' CHALLENGES |
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| Dave Bastable, Director of Business Development at Fischer Connectors, discusses how connectors can respond to today's challenges in the development of medical electrical devices. |
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1) Nowadays, what are the key challenges OEMs are facing in the development of medical electrical equipment? The key challenge for OEMs is to keep improving their end-users experience. This requires reconciling numerous expectations, such as simplicity of use, increased device portability and miniaturization, while still offering faultless reliability. Additionally - offering more and more benefits - the specific category of disposable products is becoming more complex. Finally, the time allocated to OEMs to develop new equipment is getting tighter and tighter, pushing everyone to streamline product development processes. 2) How are Fischer connectors responding to those challenges? Fischer connectors and cable assemblies are primarily known for their reliability. They are engineered with high quality materials, fully adapted to medical environments, tested to be shielded against electromagnetic interferences and able to withstand various sterilization processes. For instance, we use gold plated contacts because they are very resistant to corrosion and harsh chemicals often used in hospitals, solid metal bodies for their mechanical strength, or thermoplastics for their heatproof characteristics. When designing our connectors, there are two very important parameters we take into account: lightness and compactness. We have just launched a new series called AluLite™, which is typically 50% lighter than typical metal connectors. This product is ideal for mobile or hand-held devices, making them easier to carry and manipulate. Our ability to offer high pin density and hybrid contact configurations also makes interconnections less bulky and simpler. In addition, we now integrate embedded electronics into our connectors, which helps miniaturize cables and adds extra intelligence into the connector like usage tracking or identification data. Regarding simplicity of use, the ribbed profile of our connector housings makes them convenient to grip even with gloves. The various mechanical or color coding possibilities helps end-users to - safely, easily and quickly - connect the right plug into the right receptacle. Plus, our connectors are designed with an integrated locking system, which simply and automatically secure connections without an extra push button or bayonet mechanism. For disposable equipment, we released a low cost yet high performance solution called Fischer L.U.C.™ (Limited Use Connector). Its key strength is that the disposable plug is mateable with high cycle lifetime receptacles, allowing greater durability for permanent equipment. To respond to the increasing diversity of needs in disposables, the Fischer L.U.C.™ is available in many variants including hybrid contact or embedded electronics configurations. 3) What can Fischer Connectors specifically bring to medical OEMs? At Fischer Connectors, we attach uppermost importance to customer service. Our ability to offer complete and integrated solutions combining all at once - connectors, cable assemblies and embedded electronics - is a real asset for OEMs working to a tight schedule. We can advise them about the connector system that will contribute the most to the success of their application. Our product range comprises over 10,000 standard items and we are always ready to develop customized solutions. Access to 3D CAD models and fast prototyping are some of the many value-adding services our customers can rely on. Trusted by OEMs for more than 50 years, our specialists are on hand to provide support throughout design and assembly processes. For more information, log on to ww.fischerconnectors.com |
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