End faces, or dirty fiber connectors, can create various issues ranging from inconsistent performance to damaged equipment. Cleaning the end faces of fiber optic medical equipment is critical to ensuring their reliability and function.
FREMONT, CA: Fiber optics is becoming increasingly popular in the medical field. Healthcare providers are using fiber optic devices to improve patient diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment as the population continues to expand and age. The performance of fiber optic instruments, like that of many medical devices, is dependent on cleanliness. The equipment must function flawlessly. Contamination of the fiber optic termini is one of the most common reasons for fiber optic instrument failure.
Identify and Remove the Contaminant
One of the most challenging aspects of end-face contamination is that it is not visible to the human eye. Therefore, before connecting any fiber-optic equipment, it's best to inspect, clean, and inspect again. Repeat this step until the instrument end faces are entirely free of impurities.
Choose Materials Engineered for Fiber Cleaning
The materials utilized to clean the end faces must be spotless; else, contamination could worsen the situation. It may seem logical to wash the connector's end face with a gown or a cloth, but those products carry a wide range of impurities that could soil the connector under a conventional fiber optic inspection scope. Allowing connections to come into contact with the floor or merely touching the termini with a finger can considerably contaminate them with dust or skin oil. Use fiber optic cleaning products designed exclusively for this purpose to avoid further contamination.
