The Convergence of Electronics and Medical Device Innovation

Designers of new and emerging diagnostic, imaging, surgical, and therapeutic
equipment are leveraging advanced connector technologies to engineer an
amazing array of cutting-edge healthcare products.

By Anthony J. Kalaijakis, Molex Incorporated

One of the most significant trends we see in the medical industry is the growing adoption of the same electronic design strategies and components that have propelled the remarkable growth of the consumer electronics, telecom, and datacom industries in recent years.

Who would have thought a few years ago that the medical device industry would be embracing membrane switches from the appliance industry, or inserting cell phone interconnects into portable home and hospital monitoring devices? And who would have imagined that super-precise surgical tools would be enabled by combining advanced fiber optic and interconnect design technologies? As the song says, “The times, they are a-changin’” —and clearly, the trend towards the convergence of electronics and healthcare is here to stay.

Electronic Medical Devices Are Surging
The healthcare industry is currently undergoing significant changes due to recent reforms. At the same time these reforms mandate services and cost controls, government and industry regulations continue to become ever more stringent.

In today’s world of medicine, it’s easy to understand why the convergence of electronics and medical devices is escalating so rapidly. With healthcare costs steadily rising, there is increasing reliance on patient-administered home healthcare devices, such as blood pressure monitors, blood glucose monitors, insulin pumps, and other monitoring and therapeutic devices critical to reliable, high-quality patient care.

On the healthcare practitioner side, there is an increased need and demand for telemedicine, in which diagnostic images and test results can be transmitted between medical professionals in seconds—even in remote areas—via broadband networks, to enable rapid, potentially life-saving decision making.

Similarly, electronic monitoring equipment of every kind is playing an extremely important role, whether deployed in hospital CCU units, in home-based healthcare devices, or systems designed to serve elderly, chronically ill, and disabled patients. And, in the pursuit of greater precision, efficiency, and improved patient outcomes, more hospitals and surgeons across all medical specialties are adopting robotic, laser-based, and assistive surgical devices built on advanced computer and fiber optics technologies.

The higher bandwidths and data integrity demanded by medical instrumentation—whether used for digital imaging or voluminous data sharing—set the stage for all-digital fiber optic connections. Similarly, the rapid growth of telemedicine not only represents a huge cost savings, but also greatly improves quality of life for chronic care patients, who no longer have to travel to a clinic or hospital for routine monitoring.

We are reaching the point where virtually every medical device today is built on electronics, in one form or another. Examples include:

• Diagnostic and Imaging Equipment, such as MRI, ultrasound, PET/CT scanners, medical and dental X-ray machines, and laboratory diagnostic equipment

• Therapeutic and Surgical Equipment, such as defibrillators, infusion pumps, pacemakers, hearing aids, respirators, dialysis machines, and electrosurgical and laser instruments

• Patient Monitoring Equipment, such as ECG/EEG machines, blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters, and multi-parameter monitors

• Hospital and Patient Care Equipment, such as beds, wheelchairs, lifts, rehab and fitness equipment, sterilization machines, networking, and automated lighting systems

Role of Embedded Components and Interconnects
The effectiveness and reliability of healthcare devices and systems rely on the robust design, engineering, and performance of their underlying electronics. Particularly important is the performance of the switches, user interface, and interconnect components that activate and transmit the signals that enable the equipment to perform as expected.

To illustrate how the convergence trend is progressing, here are some of the ways in which innovative medical and healthcare equipment manufacturers are incorporating the latest electronic and interconnect technologies into their product designs.

User Interface Keypads/Switches
Adapted from the white goods industry, user interface keypads or membrane switches provide an excellent value-to-performance ratio for medical equipment manufacturers. They not only provide functional performance, but also are the “badge” on medical equipment, and one of the few user touch points. Membrane switches available today include applications with embedded LEDs, dome arrays, silicone rubber keypad assemblies, and multi-language options. Capacitance touch screens offer optimum visual contrast with sensitivity, even through surgical gloves.

As more and more self-monitoring and therapeutic devices move from the clinic into the home, it’s very important for device manufacturers to ensure that the user interface (i.e., keypads, switches) is well designed, clearly readable, and easy to clean—and that the electronic devices themselves provide reliable functionality, ease of use, and the durability to withstand repetitive handling by patients.

Connector Miniaturization
The latest mega-trend in the medical industry is miniaturization and microminiaturization of interconnects, such as those used in portable and patient-wearable devices. There are many examples of devices that, a decade ago, were built only for use in hospitals or clinics, and are now portable and even wireless, making them affordable and convenient for patients to use at home.

As a result of this miniaturization and portability trend, the form factor of these medical devices is changing, with embedded electronics and interconnects having to perform better in less space. This has manifest in microminiature connectors, once used only in mobile phone and handheld electronic device applications, which have now evolved into viable medical device solutions. One example available in today’s marketplace is the Molex SlimStack™ system, which is not only small—0.40mm (0.016") pitch and a low-profile height of 0.70mm (0.028")—but is also available in several configurations, depending on the device design.

Molded Interconnect Device (MID)
Taking integration to the next level, Molex has applied its two-shot molding and Laser Direct Structuring (LDS) plated plastic technology (consisting of molding, laser structuring, and metallization) to medical application designs. Adapted from sculpting antennas for mobile applications, this technology makes it possible to incorporate the aforementioned SlimStack interconnect onto a 3-D housing with integrated traces. This approach significantly increases function and minimizes size while offering a three-dimensional approach to interconnectivity.

Fiber Optics
Optical fiber cables are increasingly replacing traditional copper cables for improved digital imaging and diagnostic applications. Fiber optic components provide higher speeds and increased bandwidth, improve the image quality, and ensure a more reliable signal without distortion. Optical cables eliminate ground loops and EMI/RFI, providing better clarity on video displays for MRI and X-ray imaging. This has influenced the healthcare market’s evolution from diagnostics to prevention, and this trend is reflected in the design complexities and capabilities of today’s sophisticated medical equipment.

Optical fiber is also being used in laser surgical devices. A laser’s light is transmitted using flexible optical fiber smaller than half a millimeter in diameter. Today, these laser devices perform a multitude of minimally invasive therapeutic medical procedures to improve patient health, while offering shorter recovery times with lower risks of infection.

For suppliers of embedded and interconnect components, the trends in the medical and healthcare industry are creating new challenges, along with proportional opportunities. While in the past, medical equipment designers were limited in choices for suitable medical interconnect approaches, the convergence of several industries has resulted in a variety of unique solution-based products.

This is a truly dynamic time to be in the healthcare industry. Having worked in the medical interconnect market for over a decade, I believe that this merging of traditional electronics technologies with medical device design will have a dramatic impact in helping to bring many more new and innovative products to the healthcare market.

Anthony J. Kalaijakis is strategic medical marketing manager for Molex Incorporated, a global leader in the manufacture of electronic, electrical, and fiber optic interconnection systems. Visit Molex online.