Interconnection


Cable assemblies for medical devices

21 March 2012 Interconnection

Limiting the propagation of bacteria and other microbes in hospitals is essential for patient wellbeing.

The manufacturers of medical devices must design their systems to be perfectly sterilisable.

Right from the initial design of interconnect links for medical applications, Axon’ Cable takes into account this requirement not only in the choice of materials but also in the techniques of moulding and overmoulding. The key issue is that the overmoulding must perfectly adhere to both cable and connector in order to limit the proliferation of bacteria in the areas which are not accessible for the cleaning or sterilisation of the assembly.

The expertise of Axon’ in these techniques allows the company to offer cable assemblies perfectly sealed to contaminations, not only in the connecting area but also in the branch area. This is the case when a cable assembly is made with several branches and the harness must be protected by a Y-shaped overmoulding.

In addition to avoiding the spread of bacteria, a perfect adherence between the overmoulding and the cable mechanically protects the assembly and guarantees the cable life. The cable assembly must withstand handling from both medical staff and patients.

Axon’ medical cable assemblies are insulated and overmoulded with thermoplastic polymers (such as PVC, TPU, TPE) and other plastic materials. They have been chosen for the method of sterilisation (disinfecting, plasma sterilisation, ethylenoxyde, gamma sterilisation) and for the level of biocompatibility required by the customer (FDA, USP XXIII class VI, ISO 10993). The overmoulding shapes are also designed to make cleaning easier.

Axon’ also uses silicone or thermoplastics (FEP, TPE, etc) to manufacture assemblies designed for autoclave sterilisation at 121°C or 134°C. Both low- and high-pressure overmoulding techniques are well known by Axon’. The company can offer an overmoulding with a different material to the one used for the cable – for example, a silicone overmoulding (low-pressure) on a TPU insulated cable – while guaranteeing the adherence of the materials between one another.

For more information contact Hiconnex, +27 (0)12 661 6779, [email protected], www.hiconnex.co.za



Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

mBend cable assemblies
Conical Technologies Interconnection
The mBend cable assemblies from Anoison are designed to meet the growing demand for low-profile coaxial connections in applications where space is limited, and precise bending is necessary right next to the connectors.

Read more...
Configurable DIN rail housings
Wiltron Agencies Interconnection
With PTR HARTMANN’s INS265 design kit, DIN rail housings can be individually configured using a wide range of options.

Read more...
New appointments at Hiconnex
Hiconnex News
Hiconnex, a leading provider of electronic components and solutions, has announced key appointments to support its continued growth and commitments to its clients.

Read more...
Connectors for the latest server applications
Spectrum Concepts Interconnection
To deliver high-speed performance, many next-generation server applications will use cables inside the box instead of PCB traces to maintain the signal integrity demanded by high-speed communications.

Read more...
Industrial Ethernet with HARTING solutions
Interconnection
In today’s fast-paced industrial landscape, Ethernet connectivity plays a crucial role in automation, ensuring seamless communication between machines and systems, and HARTING offers a wide range of innovative Ethernet products.

Read more...
Steel wire cable tray systems
RS South Africa Interconnection
Legrand has developed a zinc aluminium finish surface treatment for its Cablofil steel wire cable tray system to minimise the threat of zinc whiskers forming.

Read more...
Versatile high-current contacts
Spectrum Concepts Interconnection
Mill-Max has announced the release of its number 36 contact, a unique contact designed to accept a wide range of lead sizes, while providing low insertion force and high current carrying capacity.

Read more...
High-density coax assemblies
RFiber Solutions Interconnection
WithWave’s high speed and high-density multi-coax cable assemblies provide a wide range of multiple coax connectors and flexible cable assemblies, with a choice of 20, 40, 50, 67 or 110 GHz configurations.

Read more...
IO-Link compatible fibre-optic sensor
Vepac Electronics Interconnection
The DFS71 is a digital fibre-optic sensor with configurable outputs: single output with remote input, redundant, complementary, and classic, which can all be configured as PNP (source), NPN (sink), or push/pull.

Read more...
High-performance connector
Interconnection
The CMM SMPM Series is the result of a collaboration between Nicomatic, a leader in connectors for harsh environments, and Radiall, an expert in RF coaxial connectors.

Read more...