The Importance of EMI Shielding in Medical-Grade Coax Assemblies

The modern healthcare environment is becoming increasingly complex and competitive through the medical equipment being more complicated. These technologies owe their existence to the effective process of relaying electronic information be it in real-time imaging system or the less invasive surgical equipment. However, the current operating room is a pool of electromagnetic interference (EMI) in which there are way too many devices operating in close proximity as compared to each other. Coax assemblies of medical grade are not only featured with the strongest EMI shielding, but it is a serious safety and performance issue as well. Hotten has developed protection systems that ensure that critical life-saving information remains exact and complete under all conditions of electrical interference.

Protecting Patient Safety Through Signal Integrity

Distorted signal can have a straight impact on patient care in the medical profession. Examples Take a cable to an ICE (Intracardiac Echocardiography) which guides a cardiologist to the procedure, or intravascular applications (e.g., IVUS systems) (Intra Vascular Ultrasound). These systems rely on low-power, high-frequency signals to generate high-resolution images. Noise may result from surgery laser, diathermy or patient monitor external EMI that can lead to misdiagnosis or incorrect procedure. To this end, medical-grade coaxial assemblies are made by Hotten with braided shield densities and specific foil wraps in such a way that they create a Faraday cage around the signal carrier such that the sensor reads that which the physician reads.

The Technical Challenge of Dense Medical Environments

The contemporary medical equipment has an unfriendly physical design that poses a greater risk of interference. A number of the cables may be bundled to keep the clutter in and around a patient bed or a surgical table. This bundling may result in crosstalk i.e., spillover of one signal on one cable to another without the correct isolation of the two cables. Hotten gets out of this through the accuracy-controlled coaxial construction. Very high standards have always been employed in our cables, both in our Ultrasound Probe Cables and Endoscope Cables, in regard to dielectric consistency, and shield coverage, so that the very high data rates of each channel can be safely run in parallel, and that the transparency of each channel can be maintained.

Designing for Sensitivity in Patient-Contact Devices

Devices that come into contact with patients have a problem with special shielding. They must be flexible and lightweight, though not liable to any interference. An instance of this is EEG lead wires that must be able to measure the electric activity of the brain in microvolts of electrical activity in the environment of electrical noise of the hospital surroundings. Similarly, RF ablation Surgical Scalpel Cables must have the capability of conducting high-energy cutting currents without disrupting sensitive feedback systems in control of the procedure. Hotten micro coaxial technology provides a middle ground to this scenario by the means of ultra-flexible shielding layers that move with the patient and the clinician, they do not interfere with the precision medical procedures.

Regulatory Compliance and Long-Term Reliability

The regulatory framework of the medical devices manufacturers is very strict whereby the manufacturers are required to show that they have tested and can be dependable. EMI shielding effectiveness is a key requirement in EMC compliance testing is EMI shielding effectiveness. At Hotten we have a quality philosophy and this has been embodied in our 10,000m² workshop facilities to our strict production standards. To fit the desired applications we have more than 300 new annual specifications designed by our R&D team that enable us to implement shielding solutions to suit the requirements of specific applications like a Dental Sensing Cable, which must have biocompatible materials, or an RF Ablation Cable, which must have large amounts of power carrying capacity with no radiation leakage.

In medical applications, there is no room for error. Medical-grade coaxial assemblies by Hotten are the key to the necessary electromagnetic shielding that will enable the innovative development to be directly converted into better patient results and safety.