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FEATURE CABLES & CONNECTORS PATIENTS IN THE HOME CONNECTING WITH With remote patient monitoring a growing area, Angelo Meriggi, country


sales manager at cable and connector specialist PEI-Genesis, explores the design requirements behind home healthcare medical connectors


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emote patient monitoring is become more important, even more so in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.


Today, patients with diabetes and abnormal blood pressure, for example, can receive reliable healthcare at home, freeing up time for healthcare providers and their patients. In fact a recent McKinsey report estimated that


the uptake in remote patient monitoring using telecommunications could be up to 38 times higher than before March 2020. This growth has been made possible by advancements in medical device technology, in particular the innovations in electrical connector designs. There are a number of requirements for


connectors used in healthcare – they traditionally have needed to be robust, IP67-sealed to protect electrical components from water ingress, and EMI-shielded to ensure data transmission is successful. However, patient requirements for connectors are different.


CONSIDERATIONS Think of a patient using a medical device at home for glucose testing or monitoring blood pressure. Not only may there not be much space at home, but the patient may have restricted mobility, so devices with large footprints and complex wiring may be unsuitable. Plastic push-pull connectors are often chosen


for household medical devices because they are a cost-effective alternative to metal. Their small footprints make them ideal for portable or


wearable medical devices, meaning patients are not inconvenienced by bulky, complex machinery. Devices used in the home also need to be


able to tolerate some rough handling. Patients may be carrying their devices around in a bag or pocket, causing wear-and-tear to the electrical components. Here, plastic is a better option to metal because if a connector is


damaged, plastic connectors are easier to source and cheaper to replace. To prevent damage to the connector and


cable, LEMO Redel has been designing its plastic push-pull connector latching systems with outer-release sleeves. This ensures that the connection cannot be broken if an operator pulls on the cable. If the connector must be decoupled from the device in a hurry, the operator can simply pull on the outer release sleeve for quick-release action. Protecting the interconnects and contacts is an important consideration when designing connectors for medical devices. This is because the connectors need to be a higher speed and density to support greater data acquisition and transfer. If the need for remote patient monitoring continues to increase, ensuring that the computing elements of the connector are safe and efficient will be vital. Reliability and ease of use is also essential,


regardless of whether they are used in a hospital or in a home. So, LEMO Redel plastic push-pull connectors are simple to operate and can be colour coded in line with the device to prevent accidental mismatching. The housing material can be sterilised without the risk of water ingress, which minimises the risk of harbouring bacteria.


TRUSTED COMPONENTS Patients need to have trust in their doctor. Likewise, medical device original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) must be able to trust that suppliers are equipping them with the right connectors. To help, PEI-Genesis is meeting the increased demand for healthcare at home by cultivating relationships with manufacturers to combine flexibility, high performance and safety into simple ergonomic designs.


PEI-Genesis www.peigenesis.com


“Patients need to have trust in their doctor. Likewise, medical


device OEMs must be able to trust that suppliers are equipping them with the right connectors”


34 DESIGN SOLUTIONS MARCH 2022


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