Originally Published EMDM September 2003
Special Report
Dual-Station Simulator Takes Wear and Tear Out of Hip Implant TestingA less-permeable alternative to silicone rubber and a high-strength bioceramic for hip implants are among current developments.
Norbert Sparrow
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| A dual-station simulator allows manufacturers to perform hip-implant wear tests in compliance with ASTM and ISO standards while reducing conventional testing times. |
To comply with both ASTM and ISO requirements related to hip-implant wear testing, manufacturers must evaluate one test specimen and one control. The double test is necessary to eliminate errors caused by fluid absorption or creep of the load-bearing materials. The Biopuls Dual-Station Hip Simulator recently introduced by
Instron (Canton, MA, USA) enables simultaneous testing, thus potentially reducing testing time in half. Without a dual-station system, manufacturers seeking to conform to both standards would have to test the sample and control in series or use two testers in parallel.
The Biopuls unit uses physiological load and motion combinations to accurately generate wear in hip implants. Unlike traditional instruments, it uses the femoral head, not the acetabular cup, to simulate motions associated with gait. Environmental baths for scientific modeling of in vivo conditions are included. As a result, four-degrees-of-freedom hip wear can be examined.
The hip simulator operates with Instron’s compact 8870 testing system and is controlled by a Fast Track console and proprietary software.
Melody Lee contributed to this article.
Copyright ©2004 European Medical Device Manufacturer
