What is a reusable connector?
2025-07-11
Reusable and limited reusable connectors must perform the same work as reusable versions, but cost, functionality, and environmental impact play a greater role in their design. Reusable products are mainly used in the medical field to maximize patient safety by preventing cross contamination and infection. They are also used in food processing, research laboratories, and industrial processes that require sterile environments.
FDA regulations, EPA restrictions, Reach and RoHS compliance, the use of hazardous materials, or conflict minerals can all affect the manufacturing of a device that provides high-level care. Important considerations for reusable connectors include:
secure
clean
reliability
Cost per use
Can combine disposable with limited or reusable components
The trend towards higher voltage and higher density
Smiths Interconnect's HyperGrip series includes disposable plugs and sockets for HG2 and HG4 sizes. They are designed to support overmolding and high-capacity production methods. They can withstand at least 30 cycles while ensuring the insulation resistance, dielectric withstand voltage, current carrying capacity, and low-level current resistance performance of the connector. HyperGrip is a circular plastic, user configurable, color coded connector with a push-pull lock design that allows for one handed disconnection. HyperGrip is designed to meet the requirements of the medical industry, such as finger proof design in accordance with IEC 60601, UL94 flame retardant rating, and compatibility with most sterilization requirements.
Design Description
Standards: FDA, EPA, Reach, RoHS, IEC 60601, UL, CSA
Pairing cycle: Limited pairing cycle, usually 10-30 times.
Connection methods: locked, unlocked, breakable
Contact parts: Based on performance requirements, suitability for specific applications, and cost-effectiveness, spiral machined hyperbolic contact systems, stamped hyperbolic contact parts, edge card contact parts, and spring probes are usually selected. Pneumatic and fluid contact parts are used to handle gases, saltwater, or suction. Fiber optic contacts for imaging, sensing, and data transmission are crucial for many emerging technologies; However, its cost and complexity are quite high.
Termination: In order to reduce costs while maintaining performance, more economical termination methods than welding may be used.
Material specifications: Material selection must balance cost-effectiveness, durability, and chemical compatibility. The casing and components are made of plastic and thermoplastic materials, such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyurethane (PUR). In medical applications, such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and polyarylsulfone (PPSU), they are used due to their sterilization and chemical resistance properties.
Environmental characteristics: anti fingerprint (compliant with IEC 60601 standard), flammability level (UL94), ethylene oxide sterilization, secondary injection molding
The level of protection depends on the specific application and environmental conditions. For example, Smith Interconnect's HyperGrip protection level is IPX4.
Market
Medical, Industrial
Application
Medical applications (such as electrocardiograms, endoscopes), food processing, research laboratories
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