Flex Connections: Is a Printed Silver Ink Circuit Right for Your Application?
Flex Connections: Material Selection in Nickel vs. Copper Tabs
Flex Connections: Four Lessons in Engineering Judgment for PCB Designers
Nortech Systems Incorporated, a leading provider of design and manufacturing solutions for complex electromedical devices and electromechanical systems, announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted the Company two patents covering its active optical cable technology. Together, the patents protect technology that brings high-speed fiber optic connectivity into some of the most demanding operating environments, including near powerful magnetic fields and inside electrically sensitive systems.
"These patents solve two fundamental engineering challenges for our medical imaging and aerospace customers: bringing high-speed fiber optics into strong magnetic fields, and monitoring cable health without adding noise to sensitive systems," said Jay D. Miller, President and CEO of Nortech Systems. "They directly reflect our commitment to engineering-led innovation that helps our customers build more reliable products."
A Non-Magnetic Optical Connector
The first patent covers a pluggable opto-electronic connector that converts electrical signals to light and back again to electrical signals. Every key component of the connector, including the housing, the transceiver, the electrical interface and the ferrule, is made from non-magnetic materials. The design fits the industry-standard SFP/SFP+ format and self-aligns when it is slid into an equipment rack, a capability known as blind-mating.
For customers, the result is the high bandwidth, light weight and immunity to electromagnetic interference of optical fiber, in a connector that can go where components with magnetic parts cannot. Potential applications include optical links for cameras, sensors and patient-monitoring equipment in MRI systems, as well as high-speed data connections in avionics equipment racks and defense electronics. Other potential uses include optical camera, motion-control and data interfaces in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, including sensitive metrology and high-field processing systems.
Built-In Diagnostics That Pause on Command
The second patent covers diagnostic monitoring built into the cable itself. The cable tracks key operating conditions in real time, including optical power, current, voltage and temperature, so customers can spot developing problems before they cause a failure. For example, in surgical imaging systems, built-in diagnostics can monitor laser aging and temperature to help identify developing cable issues.
The patent also protects an on-demand pause. Diagnostic electronics can introduce electrical noise, which in imaging equipment can show up as image artifacts. With Nortech's design, the host system can switch the cable's diagnostics off for a set period during noise-sensitive operations, such as an imaging scan, and the diagnostics then resume. Customers no longer have to choose between monitoring their cables and protecting signal quality.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent No. 12,717,100, "Active Optical Cables," on August 25, 2026, and U.S. Patent No. 12,710,485, "Monitoring Technology for Active Optical Components," on August 18, 2026.
