Interplex’s off-the-shelf medical-grade circular interconnect products

Interplex has announced an innovation that’s set to cause a major shake-up in the medical hardware market. The company’s new Interplex Sureline series will mean that OEMs no longer must engage with suppliers to create a custom connector/cable assembly for their latest equipment models. Instead, they will have access to ready-to-use overmolded products that are far more cost-effective and convenient to implement.  

Available directly off-the-shelf, the Interplex Sureline medical-grade circular interconnect products are fully compatible with the widely used REDEL P1 and P2 connector format. They are available in 14-pole (Plex 1) 34-pole (Plex 2) versions. Customers can stipulate to have the same connector on both ends of the cable or opt for a connector at one end and bare wires at the other. Cable lengths of 3ft (0.9m), 6ft (1.8m) and 10ft (3.05m) may be chosen from. These interconnects leverage the company’s patented Sureflex overmold technology, which means that industry-leading strain relief is assured.

The specially designed ergonomic external profile of the connector element means that users will naturally place it in the correct orientation during mating (supplementing the keyway/polarization mechanism incorporated into their construction). As a result, not only does this mean that mating can be conducted quicker (which is advantageous in emergency situations), but also the wear-and-tear that mis-mating attempts would otherwise cause is eliminated (thus extending operational lifespan).

Manufactured in line with IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class II standards, Interplex Sureline interconnect products are able to cope with challenging conditions. They have a 1,500 mating cycle durability, strong contact retention and the ability to withstand high temperatures (up to 150°C, with non-standard material options capable of handling 170°C). Furthermore, the IP50 rating of these interconnects protects them against the ingress of liquid sprays that can regularly occur in demanding clinical environments.

Among the core applications that Interplex Sureline interconnects are intended to address will be surgical equipment, medical imaging systems, diagnostic instrumentation, respiratory equipment, and patient monitoring units. Outside of healthcare, they can also be used in industrial testing and data logging systems. New cable lengths and pin configurations will be introduced over the course of 2023.

“Until now interconnect suppliers serving the medical sector have been predominantly focused on providing custom-made solutions. Consequently, OEMs have to make a large upfront investment to cover the tooling costs required. It also means they have to wait for periods of around three months

to get the connectors/cabling shipped,” explains Lee Burgess, global business development and sales director at Interplex.

Interplex Sureline simply rewrites the rulebook. By going down this route, OEMs no longer have to worry about the time and financial investment involved, what the minimum order quantities will be, or having to subsequently carry out extensive testing. It will give them the ability to move from initial samples to volume shipments within just a week.

“As well as being positioned at attractive price points and accelerating development timeframes, these interconnect products are robust and reliable. Alongside this, their ergonomic design enables them to be intuitively oriented the right way prior to mating,” Burgess concludes.

Though Interplex Sureline interconnects provide off-the-shelf convenience, there is still plenty of scope to make alterations to the design. Different cable lengths, keying positions, pole numbers and configurations, plus cable jacket and overmold materials can be specified. Various jacket/overmold color options may be selected and the OEM logo added if requested.

Learn more about the new Interplex Sureline connectors/cabling products by downloading the datasheet here https://interplex.com/wp-content/uploads/Datasheet-Interplex-Sureline.pdf.