High-performance, high-quality medical connectors

The medical electronics industry is one of the most important market segments for Samtec. Specific connector systems have therefore been developed for these applications and are used very successfully worldwide.

This blog presents different connector systems that are frequently used in medical electronics.

They are robust, powerful and high-bandwidth connector systems that meet the stringent quality, production and compliance requirements of the medical industry. They also address the design challenges of signal integrity, power consumption, system optimization and cost. Samtec connectors are used in imaging, medical devices, surgery, point-of-care, monitoring and therapy applications, among others.

Here you will find a brief overview of Samtec's connector product families that are well suited for the medical industry:

Robust micro-connector systems

When designers think of micro-pitch connectors, they don't usually think of ruggedness, high mating cycles, high mechanical strength on the PCB or strong retention of the mated connectors. Samtec offers a complete line of micro-rugged products that provide all of this. Our micro-rugged products are just that - micro and rugged. Here is a brief overview of two of our leading micro-rugged product lines:

The Tiger Eye™ system is designed for high-reliability, high-frequency applications. Tiger Eye is available as board-to-board, single wire and IDC cable systems and in various pitches. Tiger Eye contacts are multi-fingered, heat-treated beryllium copper (BeCu) contacts for harsh environments. The excellent spring properties of beryllium copper make it ideal for applications with high clock frequencies.

Samtec Edge Rate® interconnect systems are optimized for signal integrity performance (some are rated to 56 Gbps PAM4), have increased contact spacing for greater reliability and durability, and are designed for higher cycle applications.

Edge Rate connectors are available in vertical, right angle and edge mount configurations. They are available with multiple design options such as full 360 degree shielding, locking systems, guide posts and differential pair configurations to name a few.

High-speed cable assemblies

High-speed cable assemblies are most commonly used for medical imaging (MRI, CT/CAT scans, PET scans and ultrasound) and rapid diagnostics. High-speed cable assemblies are available with micro-coaxial and twinax cables for both single-ended and differential applications. Most designers incorporate a Samtec Flyover® cable system; this extends signal reach and density to achieve next-generation speeds by routing signals over an ultra-low signal distortion cable instead of a lossy PCB.

With increasing bandwidth requirements, effective heat dissipation and signal routing through lossy PCBs, vias and other components have become complex challenges. Samtec flyover cable systems overcome the limitations of traditional signal substrates and hardware offerings, providing a cost-effective, high-performance and thermally efficient solution to the challenges of bandwidths of 112 Gbps and beyond.

Optical systems

Optical cable assemblies were originally of interest to medical device developers as they are non-magnetic. However, they are becoming increasingly popular due to the higher data rates (of course) and the small size of the connector. The FireFly™ fiber optic cable system allows for higher density and closer proximity to the IC, enabling chip-to-chip, board-to-board, on-board and system-to-system connectivity. The data rates achieved with optical cables allow designers to integrate future feature enhancements without having to redesign their boards.