Medical connectors

Our high-performance connectors are designed for demanding medical settings, including diagnostic, imaging, surgical, therapeutic, and dental healthcare. They can be fully customized or purchased off-the-shelf.

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Our wide range of circular connectorsincluding miniature, sterilizable, reusable, hybrid, disposable and silicone-coated options – meet the strictest quality and reliability requirements in medical device manufacturing.

Our medical connector solutions

Fischer Connectors is known for its reliable, durable medical device solutions. Our connectors help create smaller, lighter devices for less invasive patient interactions. They include hybrid configurations that combine data, power, and fluids in a single cable/connector.

 

Our organization is committed to ensuring the safety of medical patients by developing and providing products, services, and solutions that meet the highest industry standards. We are ISO 13485:2016 certified for quality management and offer products and solutions compliant with IEC 60601-1 for patient and operator protection (MOPP/MOOP).

Key features
  • Sterilization proof: Autocave (500 cycles minimum), Cidex, EtO, Gamma radiation, Steris® or Sterrad®
  • IP68 sealing, resistance to heat and chemicals
  • Robust design with mechanical endurance of 10’000 mating cycles minimum
  • Highly configurable with a wide choice of high-performance materials (brass, stainless steel, plastic, PEEK) and customization capabilities
  • Miniature and lightweight options
  • Friction-free and flexible silicone overmolding
  • Ergonomic and easy to handle and clean
  • Combination of power and data, gas or fluids
  • Optimized signal integrity

 

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Our product range

Highly configurable, the Core series offers a great variety of high-performance and sterilization-proof materials (brass, plastic) and designs, including cost-effective disposable plugs. Ultra-rugged & compact the UltiMate series is designed for durability and stealth, withstanding a variety of severe environmental, industrial and chemical conditions. The high-density, miniature MiniMax series ensures signal integrity for power and data transmission, while maintaining footprint to a minimum. The FiberOptic series offers robust and faultless optical performances in any conditions. Combined with easy use, cleaning and maintenance. The Freedom series features low profile connectors with no key code, enabling 360° mating freedom, suitable also for wearable applications.
Number of contacts 1 to 55 2 to 42 4 to 30 1 to 4 4 to 7
Contact termination Solder | Crimp | PCB Solder | Crimp | PCB Solder | PCB Optical | Solder (hybrid) Solder | PCB | Wires | ZIF
Locking system Push-pull | Quick-release | Friction Quick-release | Push-pull Push-pull | Quick-release | Screw Push-pull Quick-release
Blind mating

Mating cycles up to 10,000 up to 10,000 up to 5,000 up to 1,000 up to 1,000
Data transfer & power

Contact type Low voltage | High voltage | Coax | Triax | Hybrid Low voltage Low voltage Low voltage | Fiber optic Low voltage
Sealing level IP30 to IP69 | Hermetic IP68 to IP69 | Hermetic IP68 IP67 to IP68 IP67 to IP68
Receptacle sealed unmated

Data protocol compliance USB 3.2 | Ethernet | Single Pair Ethernet | Audio/UHD Video USB 3.2 | Ethernet | Single Pair Ethernet USB 3.2 | Ethernet | Single Pair Ethernet | Audio/UHD Video USB 2.0
Test voltage DC (kV) up to 50 up to 3.7 up to 2.4 up to 2.8 up to 1.2
Current rating (A) up to 60 up to 26 up to 10 up to 10 up to 5
Housing material Brass | Stainless steel 316 L | Aluminum | PEI (405) | PBT (4032) | ABS Aluminum | Brass Brass Brass Metal | Plastic
AWG 9 to 32 9 to 32 18 to 28 17 (hybrid) 24 to 28
Cable outer Ø (mm) 1.5 to 22.7 1.9 to 18.8 3.0 to 8.7 2.9 to 9.4 5.5
Plug size Ø (mm) 9 to 34 12 to 29 9.9 to 14.9 13 to 24 20.4 to 25.4

Need other features?

Our custom connector capabilities will help you meet your needs.

Custom connectors

Learn more about medical connectors

Medtech designers face strict safety requirements for both patients and operators. Devices undergo extensive FDA and European trials, making risk reduction a top priority for designers.

 

Manufacturers need to ensure that medical devices are low-risk, reliable, modern-looking, and provide a positive patient experience, all while incorporating more technology and functionality in a smaller space.

 

Medical connectors and cable assemblies play a crucial role in delivering power to hand tools, handheld diagnostic equipment, and transmitting signals to mobile consoles and surgical systems.

 

Selecting the right medical connector and cable assembly solution is crucial for creating small, safe, stylish, and functional devices at a competitive price, while minimizing risks for both patients and operators.

Critical considerations for material choice, required sealing level and mating mechanism:

  • How many mating cycles is the medical connector expected to last ?
  • Who will operate, clean and sterilize the device: untrained patient or a trained medical professional ?
  • What kind of conditions the device will need to endure ?
  • Which sterilization method will be applied will be ?

 

It’s important to shield medical connectors from electromagnetic interference (EMI/RFI) to ensure reliable data transmission, as many everyday electronics emit EM energy.

Safety
  • ESD (electrostatic discharge) protection
  • MOPP (Means of Patient Protection), MOOP (Means of Operator Protection) and compliance with test finger standard
  • Air clearance and creepage distances
  • Insulation barriers and insulated contacts

 

Signal integrity optimization
  • Highs-speed multiprotocol data transfer
  • Minimized noise and signal distortion
  • Controlled cable assembly process for impedance matching
  • Minimized near-end / far-end crosstalk (NEXT / FEXT)

 

 

Durability
  • 500 sterilization cycles proven
  • Resistant to sterilization and chemicals (autoclave, Cidex, EtO, Gamma radiation, Steris® or Sterrad®)
  • Resistant to high-pressure steam (hydrogen peroxide vapor, Sterrad®)
  • Thermal insulation
  • Available with silicone overmolding
Custom designs
  • Brass, stainless steel, plastic, PEEK
  • Custom color coding and locking mechanisms
  • Miniature and lightweight
  • Ergonomic and easy to handle
  • Hybrid connectivity – fluidic / optical / electrical
  • Robust design with double shielding

Our spectrum of medical connector applications

Fischer Connectors is proud to be recognized as an essential partner for medical device manufacturing, serving leading organizations and suppliers. These solutions help protect and save lives across various applications :

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Diagnostic & Imaging

Fischer Connectors provides dependable, high-speed connectivity solutions for accurate imaging and diagnostics, e.g., endoscopy, laparoscopy, electroencephalography (EEG), MRI and CT scanners or medical ultrasound.

 

For safe diagnostic procedures with reusable endoscopes, the connectivity solution must be hermetically sealed to protect electronics from cleaning, disinfection, and reprocessing. It’s recommended to use durable medical connectors with metal shells and cables with silicone overmolding to withstand between 250 and 1,000 cycles as per reprocessing guidelines.

 

Fischer Connectors offers a wide range of sizes, configurations and coding options for medical connectors which withstand extreme sterilization processes and feature more than 5,000 mating cycles.

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Monitoring

Our medical connectors feature reliable and straightforward connectivity technology for vital patient information, critical care and rescue operations, e.g., Getinge’s Cardiohelp. This mobile heart-lung support system is easy to use and quick to set up in a wide range of indications in cardiac surgery, cardiology, intensive care and emergency medicine.

 

The manufacturer selected Fischer Core connectors for their durability, high-quality mating, reliable signal transmission, and user-friendliness. The medical connectors also had to be easy to clean and robust against harsh cleaning agents.

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Interventional & Surgical

At Fischer Connectors, we provide secure and durable connectivity solutions for high-precision devices in robot-assisted and dental surgery, shaver systems, power consoles, and powered instrument drivers for surgical procedures.

 

Our medical connectors are designed to withstand the demands of surgical applications, with features such as hermetic sealing, high mating cycles, and resistance to harsh cleaning agents or sterilization procedures, while ensuring signal integrity for reliable data transmission. The flexibility in design ensures seamless integration into medical devices for improved performance.

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Therapeutic

Our connectivity solutions are widely used in therapeutic devices, particularly in shock-wave medical applications, where our durable and reliable connectors are essential for withstanding demanding conditions including exposure to shock and vibration.

 

They provide reliable signal transmission and ensure secure mating, ensuring that the shock wave machine functions optimally without any disruptions or malfunctions.

At Fischer Connectors, we offer fully integrated connectivity solutions to facilitate the implementation of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT).

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Miniaturization in medical connectors

The trend toward miniaturization in medtech is driving the need for small, rugged medical connectors capable of handling signal and power transmission in compact devices. These innovations are crucial for mobile and patient-worn devices, as well as new sensor technologies for wireless reporting.

 

Designing small medical connectors requires careful consideration of material, pin density, and electrical capacity to ensure optimal performance and safety. Proper testing and custom cable solutions may be necessary to achieve the best fit and functionality in these miniaturized medical devices.

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Choose the medical connector that fits your needs.