The healthcare industry is going through what may be the most revolutionary change thanks to portable (sometimes called point-of-care) medical devices. These devices improve patient safety and allow for real-time monitoring of patient vitals. Today, healthcare professionals across the world depend on them as invaluable tools. Yet, as the need for these transformative technologies increases, so do the challenges in maintaining connectivity in high-impact settings.
To meet these growing challenges, manufacturers are turning toward connector designs that enable advanced connections with the quality information transfer needed for high-speed data. Such advancements are key to facilitating at-home, real-time monitoring, which is becoming more essential in both emergency and clinical settings. The trend towards easier methods of assembly is accelerating at breakneck speeds. This is critical to ensuring that healthcare providers can trust these devices with little to no setup time.
The Growth of Portable Medical Devices
Portable medical devices have become increasingly popular in recent years because of their capacity to deliver real-time health information. Patients are increasingly looking for care to be provided at home. As a consequence, wearable monitors and portable imaging systems for everyday use have become more widespread. This change is a huge benefit to patients, putting them in control, and helps reduce stress on our hospitals and other healthcare providers.
The recent boom in telemedicine has only increased the need for these devices. Patients today are getting more care remotely, and more devices and remote connectivity mean better communication and engagement with one’s health care provider. As a result, the tech sector is focusing on advancements that improve usefulness and the ability to connect other devices.
Connectivity Challenges in High-Impact Environments
Portable medical devices face special challenges when designed for high-impact environments. Threats like motion, water exposure, and drastic temperature changes can affect connectivity and performance of devices. These challenges require heavy-duty connector solutions able to withstand severe environments while continuing to provide high-speed, high-reliability data transmission.
Reliable, high-speed data transmission is especially important during emergencies, when real-time information can greatly affect lifesaving care. In turn, manufacturers are investigating high performance connector technologies that provide reliable communication at all costs—even during the toughest environments.
Innovations in Connector Design
To meet the increasing demands from the healthcare industry, manufacturers are already working on smaller hybrid connector designs. These multipurpose, rugged connectors are engineered to carry power, as well as signal. These connectors make the assembly process faster and easier, helping manufacturers get portable medical devices to market faster.
Connector design innovations that smooth assembly processes while increasing reliability can benefit all devices. By combining several functions into a single connector, manufacturers can help make portable medical devices smaller and simpler. This is especially valuable in a field where space and weight are often life-or-death factors.