Colder Releases New Hybrid Connector at Compamed

Colder Products Company wasted no time in using Compamed 2011 as a new product platform. Corporate executives kicked off the three-day event in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Nov. 16 by launching a new hybrid connector to integrate fluidics and electronics into a single connection.

Colder Products’ new Hybrid Connector eliminates the need for multiple connections and simplifies the user interface between remote tools and a device, according to the St. Paul, Minn.-based firm. The connector also enables healthcare professionals to quickly change or replace modular tools, umbilicals or hand pieces that require power, signal, air or fluids in various medical applications.

“Fluid and electrical connections are the key interface for the technician and can be critical to ensure that a device performs safely and effectively,” said Jaime Erickson, senior application engineer at Colder Products. “Our hybrid technology simplifies these connections for the end user with a single connector.”

The hybrid coupling set consists of a panel mount socket and a connector with an umbilical hose containing multiple fluid tubes and contact wires. Featuring dry beak valve technology and high-cycle pin and socket electrical contacts, the Hybrid Connector also has an ergonomic twist-to-connect collar.

Hybrid couplings, Colder Products bigwigs claim, can be customized for various applications that require fluid and electronics, including diagnostic equipment, surgical tools, analytical instrumentation and hospital beds.

Founded in 1978, Colder Products provides medical manufacturers with quick disconnect couplings, fittings and connectors for plastic tubing. Special product features include precise hose barbs for superior grip, built-in shutoff valves to prevent product spills and an easy-to-use, push-button thumb latch for quick connecting and disconnecting. The company employs 250 people and has sales offices in 9 countries in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and North America.