# How to Connect Wires and Light Signals Through a Protective Cloth > This patent describes a system to make both electrical and optical connections by pushing a plug into a socket, with a protective cloth or 'drape' placed in between, where a sharp part on the plug pokes through the drape. - **Patent:** US 12734006 - **Original title:** Connection systems and methods for establishing optical and electrical connections through a drape - **Granted:** 2026 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 0 - **Field:** consumer_electronics, telecommunications, mechanical, biotech ## What it does This system allows for establishing both optical and electrical connections directly through a protective layer, called a drape. It uses a plug and a receptacle. The plug has an optical terminal and an electrical terminal extending from its housing. The electrical terminal is designed as a piercing element, meaning it's sharp enough to poke through the drape. When the plug is inserted into the receptacle, with the drape positioned between them, the electrical terminal pierces the drape to connect with an electrical receiver inside the receptacle. Simultaneously, the optical terminal forms a connection with an optical receiver, also within the receptacle, passing the light signal through the drape without piercing it. For example, a surgeon could quickly connect a medical instrument to a base unit through a sterile drape without compromising the sterile field. ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover connection systems where the drape must be pre-cut or pre-punched before the plug is inserted. - Does not cover systems that only establish an optical connection or only an electrical connection, as it specifies both. - Does not cover connections where the electrical terminal does not physically pierce the drape. - Does not cover wireless communication systems that transmit signals through a drape without direct physical contact. - Does not cover connections where the drape is not positioned directly between the plug and the receptacle during insertion. ## The clever bit The novelty lies in simultaneously creating both optical and electrical connections through a drape, specifically by using a piercing element for the electrical connection while the optical connection forms without piercing. This allows for robust, multi-signal connectivity in protected environments without compromising the barrier. ## Real-world examples 1. Medical surgical equipment connections through sterile drapes 2. Industrial sensors connecting through protective covers in dusty factories 3. Ruggedized outdoor electronics requiring sealed connections 4. Laboratory equipment needing quick, clean connections through protective barriers ## Why it matters This technology could be important in environments requiring strict cleanliness or protection from contaminants, such as medical operating rooms or harsh industrial settings. It allows for quick, reliable connections without needing to remove or damage a protective barrier. This can save time and reduce the risk of contamination, making equipment safer and more efficient to use in critical applications. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does How to Connect Wires and Light Signals Through a Protective Cloth cover? This patent describes a system to make both electrical and optical connections by pushing a plug into a socket, with a protective cloth or 'drape' placed in between, where a sharp part on the plug pokes through the drape. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on September 15, 2046, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What problem does this patent solve? This technology could be important in environments requiring strict cleanliness or protection from contaminants, such as medical operating rooms or harsh industrial settings. It allows for quick, reliable connections without needing to remove or damage a protective barrier. This can save time and reduce the risk of contamination, making equipment safer and more efficient to use in critical applications. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover connection systems where the drape must be pre-cut or pre-punched before the plug is inserted. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12734006/connection-systems-and-methods-for-establishing-optical-and-electrical **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US12734006 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How Chips Get Both Light and Electricity on a Special Glass Base](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12326604/integrated-circuit-packages-having-electrical-and-optical-connectivity-and-metho) — This patent describes a way to build computer chip packages using a special glass base that can carry both electrical signals and light signals, making chips faster and more efficient. - [Attaching Flexible Circuits with Light Sensors to a Chip](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9055681/method-for-attaching-a-flexible-structure-to-a-device-and-a-device-having-a-flex) — This patent describes a method and device for attaching a bendable circuit, which includes light-sensing or light-emitting components, onto a main chip, allowing light to pass through a hole in the chip to reach the flexible part. - [How to Precisely Connect Light Chips to Optical Fibers](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11150423/optical-and-thermal-interface-for-photonic-integrated-circuits) — This patent describes a clever way to accurately align tiny light-emitting components inside a photonic chip with an external optical connector, using a built-in alignment mark and a viewing hole. - [Routing Light Between Fiber Cores Using Special Reflectors](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11646794/fiber-optic-connectors-and-connectorized-fiber-optic-cables-that-include-integra) — This patent describes a fiber optic connector that uses tiny, specially designed reflectors called holographic Bragg gratings to precisely guide light signals from one optical fiber to multiple other fibers, even separating different colors (wavelengths) of light. - [A Stamped Mirror to Connect Optical Fibers to Tiny Light Chips](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12422629/optical-connection-of-optical-fibers-to-grating-couplers) — This patent describes a method to precisely connect a standard optical fiber to a tiny light-based computer chip (a photonic integrated circuit) using a specially shaped, stamped mirror that redirects and reshapes the light.