Hermetic Connectors for Implantable Medical Devices

What is a hermetic connector?

Generally speaking, the hermetic is defined as “being airtight or impervious to air”. Essentially, no seal is airtight. For electrical connectors, materials such as metals, ceramics, glass, PEEK (polyether ether ketone), and PEK (polyether ketone) compounds, etc. are used to form the hermetic seal to achieve low leak rates of the connectors under specific conditions.

Hermetic connectors, such as the MIL-DTL-38999 Series III, D109, and R04JS1,hermetic micro d connector supplied by Sunkye which are designed for use in military aerospace and oil exploration. The requirement for connector hermaticity was originally driven by military electronic applications. But the products are equally applicable to medical devices.

When medical equipment is sterilized under heat, pressure, chemicals, and water processes. hermetic products protect against various environmental conditions, including changes in atmospheric pressure, humidity/moisture, soil/grime, and other factors that would damage electrical connections，ensuring the integrity of delicate electronics. Sealed connectors serve implantable devices in medical systems. In implantable electronics such as audiology and cardiac devices, hermetic connectors protect the electronic device and ensure its functionality within the human body. Sunkye glass-sintered sealing connectors are ideal for medical implants applications where thermal stability, mechanical strength, insulation resistance, weight and size are a critical concern. Sunkye typically specifies Kovar alloy for its hermetic products to provide an effective barrier against gas ingress and corrosion.

Sunkye R04JS1 glass-sintered sealing rectangle connector meets MIL-DTL-83513, and Kovar alloy shells are plated with gold after the glass insulator is fired to enhance corrosion resistance. Contacts are plated with gold to ensure superior electrical conductivity. Connectors are offered with a minimum of 9 sockets, up to a maximum of 51 sockets, and the air leakage rate is 1x10-3Pa.cm3/s.

Sunkye D109 glass-sintered sealing circular connector, with Kovar 4J29 contacts and Kovar 4J50 shell, is resistant to high temperature and high pressure. The connector only provides 2 pins, and the air leakage rate is 1x10-3Pa.cm3/s.

Meanwhile, Sunkye has been working on developing glass-sintered sealing technology that meets medical needs to make electronic components smaller without compromising performance. Develop smaller sealed connectors and other enhancements to improve the stability and durability of implantable devices.

Sunkye hermetic rectangle and circular connectors:

Sunkye hermetically sealed connector perfectly meet these specific requirements:

☑ Gold plating
☑ Kovar Alloy 4J29/4J50

☑ Meet MIL-DTL-83513
☑ Glass-sintered sealing technology
☑ Small with space-saving, lightweight

☑ Miniaturization and high density

☑ The air leakage rate: 1x10-3Pa.cm3/s