MEDICAL & PHARMACEUTICAL SPECIAL FOCUS MILITARY TO MEDICAL: AN EFFECTIVE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
When technology is engineered for the rigours of the military battlefield, it is well prepared to transfer the same reliability and durability to the medical industry. By Jean-Marie Buchilly, Innovation Cell Manager, Fischer Connectors
W
hile the surgeon relied on light from his headset to conduct surgery, the cable powering it would get in the way or tangled up. If the
headset and its cabling had a connector with more degrees of freedom, one that allowed the cabling to stay straight and in position no matter what the surgeon’s movement, a nurse wouldn’t have to hold the cable. This is just one example of a connectivity solution that started in the
military and ended up in medical applications. It is the path that design engineering often takes when it comes to medical devices. In the U.S. for example, because of the FDA’s regulations that favour proven technology, engineers look for successful approaches to challenges when designing for the medical market. Often, they look to the military. The Fischer LP360 connector from the Fischer Freedom Series is an
example of technology transfer from Military to Medical. The breakthrough plug & use technology of this connector, launched in 2018, has been used in defence applications to optimise cable management and facilitate the integration of connectivity solutions into electronic ecosystems carried and/or worn by dismounted soldiers in the field. The use of this connector in military applications has created an ideal solution that can be incorporated into other environments, including the medical community. Lightweight, easy-to-use, cleanable connectors are important in the
military, the same characteristics are valued by medical professionals. Technology can be transferred from portable soldier communications to mobile medical equipment or, in the case of wearables, from integrated soldier vests to patient-worn diagnostic or monitoring equipment Such wearable devices are non-invasive. They can perform a
multitude of functions including data gathering, feedback and data transfer over time. Wearable devices are growing in adoption and use by the medical community as they facilitate the gathering of data and its communication, without encumbering the user. In designing a connector for use within the medical community, usability
is a main priority. The 360˚ of mating freedom of the Fischer LP360 offers many benefits for users with portable devices or requiring mobility of the connector during use. Because the connector rotates, the cables are less prone to tangling as they stay in-line to the application. In both military and medical wearables, the clothing or vest itself
may serve as a hub. Required electronics are located inside the vest, reducing the number of cables outside the vest. Connectors are then strategically integrated into the vest. These connectors serve as locations where one may connect the specific application via a mating connector or a cable. The distributed power hub allows lights, cameras and other devices to be interchanged throughout locations on the vest providing even great flexibility to the user. As portable and wearable devices become more in demand by
medical professionals and patients, the precise components that are part of their design will demand more characteristics and require a higher standard of performance. By migrating from the military market to a different but equally demanding medical market, the right connector, with the right characteristics, at the right time, can make all the difference.
Fischer Connectors
www.fischerconnectors.com/uk/en/military- medical-effective-technology-transfer
Incorporating the highest standards of the medical community, and affording the same benefits – easy mating, easy cleaning, and easy integration – is one way to capture the characteristics from the military market and transfer such technology over. For instance, seven-contact
military connectors with the newest design and plug & use technology (plug and receptacle on the right) can be redesigned with just four contacts (two for data, and two for power) and constructed using a high-end composite based on PEEK with salient characteristics suitable to the specifications of the medical environment (plug and receptacle on the left).
fi
scherconnectors.com FISCHER MINIMAXTM SERIES
Miniature signal & power connector, high density
CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS FOR MEDICAL DEVICES
LIGHTWEIGHT, EASY TO HANDLE OPTIMIZED CABLE MANAGEMENT IP68 / IP69 SEALING, HERMETICITY
EMI / RFI SHIELDING FOR RELIABLE DATA TRANSMISSION
FISCHER CORE SERIES DISPOSABLE High performance, every time
FISCHER FREEDOMTM
SERIES
Easy to mate, clean and integrate
4 INNOVATION AWARDS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
