Fischer Core has delivered its First Mate Last Break (FMLB) connectors to ensure electrical safety and mechanical reliability for medical devices in compliance with IEC 60601-1.

FMLB ensures the permanent ground presence of an electrical system through a longer pin in the plug that “mates first and breaks last” with the system’s receptacle to avoid risky electrical safety conditions. For example, it protects from electrostatic discharge (ESD), allowing any stray voltage to be routed to a safe ground to prevent harm to the operator and the voltage sensitive.

“In addition to its robustness, our flagship Fischer Core Series is well-known for its versatility. Not only in terms of contact configurations, body sizes and materials but also in terms of locking systems, that is, push-pull, tamperproof, quick-release and friction fit,” Fischer Connectors markets and products manager Alexandra Monchatre says.

“This facilitates design engineers’ lives, particularly when it comes to addressing the various needs of medical device users. A single device may use two different types of locking mechanisms depending on whether a connector is used to connect a handpiece or a control console.”

FMLB connectors are available in two sizes (‘size 104’ with a 15mm diameter plug and ‘size 1031’ with a 13mm diameter plug) and three mixed low-voltage configurations (one with 12 contacts, two with 14 contacts). The longer ‘FMLB’ contact for ground is shown in red.

Fischer Core 104 A 130 and Fischer Core 1031 A 105 feature 14 pins: 3x 0.9mm power contacts for a maximum current of 9.5A for size 104 / 8.1A for size 1031, and 11x 0.5mm data contacts (including a longer FMLB contact for ground) for 5Gbit/s Ethernet. As for the Fischer Core 104 A 131 connector, it features 12x power and data contacts of 0.5mm (including the ground/FMLB longer contact) for 4.2A and 5Gs Ethernet.

The Fischer Core FMLB connectors and associated cable assemblies are extremely robust and durable, not only mechanically but also in terms of design, offering IP68 sealed, resist autoclave sterilisation and corrosion (1,000 hours of salt mist, 5% salt solution, 35°C) for long-lasting lifecycles with 10,000 mating cycles and rugged keying and locking systems always to ensure safe connections.