Advanced Circuitry and Interface Solutions for Oxygen concentrators

When discussing COVID-19 patient care, a lot of attention is directed toward ventilators, but other respiratory devices such as oxygen concentrators are also needed. When it became clear that the demand for these devices was going to increase, one North American medical device company specializing in oxygen therapy technology turned to Molex for help meeting new production targets

With our expertise in both critical internal components and user interface design, Molex responded immediately. Oxygen concentrators deliver oxygen to patients with respiratory diseases or those experiencing respiratory failure. These devices filter the air and compress it to a specific density to deliver medical grade oxygen to the patient, either via pulse dose (customized to the patient’s breathing) or continuous stream, and provide a user interface for easy patient use. For this medical device company, Molex supplies internal connection, cable, and circuit components along with custom user interface solutions, including the keypad itself.

Maintaining the integrity and reliability of these components remains our top priority even as we increase production to meet these new, pandemic-related needs.

Our polyimide circuit materials allow these concentrators to reliably retain high electronic component density without becoming too large or cumbersome for patients. Molex’s proprietary component bonding capabilities also enable additional design flexibility by allowing direct attachment to polyester circuits, while protecting solder joints and mechanical attachment points from vibration during use. But advanced technology on the inside of a device only matters if someone can easily use it, so we helped our customer focus on usability as well.

Every patient who interacts with one of these respiratory devices uses a Molex keypad. Membrane switches offer a tactile response, surface mounted LEDs indicate on/off status, and custom designed graphic elements are printed and applied to the membrane, so every operation is easy to follow. Molex’s team of experienced electrical, software, and mechanical engineers have been collaborating with this customer for nearly a decade. They work to regularly reevaluate components from every angle — including lighting and printing capabilities, substrate materials, and even environmental parameters.

This close collaboration with our customer left Molex well positioned to efficiently ramp up production on short notice, engage our supply chain partners, and help these respiratory devices make their way to healthcare professionals treating patients with COVID-19.

Molex remains dedicated to helping our customer meet increasing demands and continues working with their team to ensure our streamlined manufacturing and design expertise provide the functionality, reliability, and patient experience they need.