 Anthony Kalaijakis Hypertronics Corp. Global Industry Director Visit Website |
Global Industry Director at Hypertronics Corp. since October 2006, Anthony Kalaijakis is responsible for Hypertronics’ global business development for the medical market. With more than 20 years’ experience in the interconnect industry, Kalaijakis has led numerous new medical interconnect product designs, some of which are patented, and he has been instrumental in the development of the new ImplanTac implantable connectors, ClearImage nonmagnetic interconnects and a line of medical-grade miniature connectors.
Kalaijakis earned a BS in mechanical engineering technology at Northeastern University, and has held several positions in engineering, marketing, sales and business development. Prior to joining Hypertronics, he was a key account manager in the sales and marketing team at Volex Group plc, where he was focused on custom medical interconnects on a global basis. Hypertronics is certified to ISO 13485 and holds many patents on interconnect technologies for the medical, military and aerospace markets. Based in Hudson, MA, Hypertronics is part of Smiths Group plc. Specialised in the design, manufacture and distribution of specialty connectors for the electronics industry since 1970, Hypertronics’ interconnect solutions are based on Hypertac hyperboloid technology, which delivers unfailing performance in life-critical applications. The company offers a range of standard catalogue products as well as custom-designed interconnect solutions for specific application needs and performance requirements. |
Connectors Q&A
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The implantable electronics sector is a growing market. Can you describe the role of interconnects within this sector?Answered September 2nd, 2009 by Expert:These interconnects must power the systems and transmit signals to the main system for accuracy. This can be a life-critical function.
In the past, implantable leads were attached through a captive set screw. In other words, there is no female contact in the device; instead, the lead is inserted into an opening on top of the device and screwed into place by the physician. This procedure requires a specific tool, because torque is very important when attaching the lead. If there is not enough torque, the lead could create intermittent electrical contact, since it has only one point of contact with the set screw, or it could disengage completely. If the physician over-torques the set screw, the lead and possibly entire device could be damaged. Having to discard the device and start with a new one adds significant cost.
Other areas of concern include the possibility of losing a screw, cross threading, damaging the screw head, and even nicking the lead. Implantable devices require uncompromised functionality within highly sensitive and demanding environments.