Medical Cable Assemblies

The medical industry uses cable assemblies to connect laboratory instruments and medical equipment. These assemblies transmit data and power and must often be built to exacting standards. Medical cable assemblies must be made using specific approved components in order to meet the high performance standards of the medical industry.

Electro-Prep has manufactured reliable cable assemblies for medical applications for decades. We can help you develop assemblies that meet all of your specifications while delivering accuracy and uniformity – even on high volume requirements.

Medical cable assemblies can be individual cables or multiple cables banded together to form a single unit, with connectors on one or more ends. These assemblies are used to connect various kinds of medical equipment and feature special details that differentiate them from cable assemblies for other applications.

For example, medical cable assemblies must be made with the highest quality approved components and meet medical device OEM performance standards. Medical-related cable assemblies typically feature an abrasion-resistant jacket made of biocompatible materials to provide durability and comply with safety-related regulatory standards.

It’s important for manufacturers to use biocompatible materials for medical cable assemblies because, in many applications, the cables may come into contact with a patient’s body. Biocompatible materials are those that are not toxic to the human body and do not provoke an immune response. These specially engineered materials are designed for therapeutic and diagnostic medical purposes.

Medical cable assemblies are made up of various components, including:

Connectors: These components lock securely and facilitate the transmission of data. They are available in multiple genre configurations.
Electromagnetic shielding material: Shielding material is included in cable assemblies to prevent electrical noise from interfering with a transmitted signal, or to reduce electromagnetic radiation from the cables. Electromagnetic shielding materials are typically wrapped around the outer jacket of a cable assembly.

Types of Medical Cable Assemblies and Their Benefits

Medical cable assemblies are used in many medical-related applications and exist in three primary types:

Communication interfaces: Communication interfaces are used in all medical cable assembly applications. They use fiber-optic, serial, or modular local area network cables.
Equipment and sub-assembly interfaces: This type of assembly is typically used with nuclear imaging devices. It is installed as original equipment and is replaced for upgrades or retrofits.
Patient interfaces: These highly durable cable assemblies typically require regular replacement throughout the life of the medical equipment with which they are used. Age and repeated use can damage them.

Categories of patient interface cable assemblies include several subtypes, such as:

Limited-use interfaces: These cables become damaged by heavy wear and exposure to cleaning chemicals, but are designed to last until their scheduled replacement. Applications include ICU monitor cables and diagnostic leads for ECG equipment.
Long-life patient interfaces: Flexible, durable, and highly wear-resistant, these interfaces are used for ECG diagnostic testing and ultrasound imaging.
Use-only interfaces: These sterilized, pre-packaged kits are designed to be disposable after each use. Catheters, fetal monitoring cables, and neural simulator lead sets are some examples.

Medical cable assemblies deliver many benefits:

Highly flexible and avoid kinking
Temperature resistance: They are able to withstand autoclave sterilization of up to 134° C.
Chemical resistant
Hydrophobic
Non-magnetic
Disposable
EMI protection

Applications of Medical Cable Assemblies

Electro-Prep develops cable assemblies for diverse medical-related applications, including:

Disposable medical cables
Imaging
Heart pacers
Patient monitoring
Catheters
Guidewires
EKG leads
Defibrillators
Fiber-optic endoscope
Robotics
Surgical procedures
RF ablation
Pain management

Medical Cable Assemblies from Electro-Prep

Since 1977, Electro-Prep has been manufacturing high-quality, reliable cable assemblies. We are proud to meet the needs of the medical industry with products that deliver full adherence to your quality standards. We support both turnkey and consignment contract manufacturing of medical assemblies, custom wire harnesses, box build, electromechanical assemblies, and more.

We are ISO 9001-2015 certified and manufacture products that are UL and CSA-listed. We meet J-STD-100 soldering standards as well as IPC/WHMA-A-620 workmanship standards. To partner with us on your next custom medical assembly, contact us or request a quote today.