Miniature Interconnects Scale Down Continuous Glucose Monitors

Today’s small, wearable CGM devices challenge design engineers with ensuring greater functionality in much less space. Miniaturized interconnect solutions with ultra-low profiles and enhanced pin density deliver more discreet and comfortable monitoring solutions.

A new generation of wearable continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) is dramatically improving medical care and quality of life for people with diabetes. Ultra-compact, lightweight, and discreet new CGMs are smaller, more comfortable, highly reliable, and easy to use, while delivering detailed treatment information and an enhanced user experience. These devices have been engineered with the use of miniaturized interconnect solutions.

User requests for smaller, lighter weight CGM devices that seamlessly integrate into their daily lives have reshaped product development strategies. This shift requires innovative approaches to component design and system architecture. The rise of miniaturization in connectors and components have enabled new designs that are ultra compact without compromising user experience.

As the innovator of the world’s smallest board-to-board connector, Molex has a long history of providing designers with miniaturized interconnect solutions with ultra-low profiles and enhanced pin density, helping deliver more discreet and comfortable monitoring solutions.

Effective diabetes management depends on consistent, precise glucose readings. To design a device that gathers reliable data, design teams must consider factors such as signal interference, noise reduction, and data accuracy to minimize calibration needs and sensor errors. The choice of new interconnect solutions built for optimal signal integrity and reliability helps maintain signal fidelity to deliver safe and effective diabetes management.

Maximizing battery life is another challenge. Engineers are exploring sophisticated power management techniques that adapt to user behaviors, sensor activity, and communications. A wide range of power management solutions includes low-power connectors, power distribution modules, and other power-saving technologies. These solutions help optimize power consumption in CGM devices, improving efficiency and extending battery life.

Navigating the complex landscape of medical device regulations is another key consideration. CGM devices need to meet stringent regulatory guidelines for safety and reliability. CGM designers need to select components with an understanding of the regulatory landscape at the outset of development. Implementing comprehensive quality management systems that align with standards like ISO 13485 can help device manufacturers streamline the approval process and bring innovations to market faster. Partnering with a connector supplier that has expertise in contract manufacturing helps medical device manufacturers streamline their production processes with quality management systems and thorough testing to maintain compliance.

5G technology can help ensure more efficient data transfer and broader compatibility with external devices. Molex interconnect solutions offer full EMI shielding for exceptional signal integrity, helping patients effectively monitor and manage their health.

Power management

CGM devices require efficient power management to support sensors, data processing units, wireless communication modules, and display screens. Power management interconnect solutions, including low-power connectors, power distribution modules, and power-saving technologies, help extend battery life. Today’s miniaturized wire-to-wire and wire-to-board connectors offer design flexibility and performance assurance for power management systems. Custom I/O connectors offer more possibilities as designers explore novel form factors and new capabilities. Features like current sensing or overcurrent protection, for instance, may call for custom I/O connectors that can help designers optimize power consumption and extend the battery life of CGMs.

Creating user-friendly interfaces for CGM device readers and apps is essential for effective disease management and patient outcomes. A new range of miniaturized interconnects bring new possibility to the design of medical wearables, making possible the transformative products that improve people’s health and lives.

To learn more about interconnect solutions for continuous glucose monitors, visit Molex.

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