Mar 31 2003
Instron, manufacturers and suppliers of mechanical testing equipment have just released two new needle testing systems.
The new systems are designed specifically for puncture and bend testing straight and curved surgical needles. Such needles are used for abdominal, fistula, vascular, intestinal and other surgical applications.
The Instron system is designed to ensure that the needles are sharp enough to penetrate tissues with a minimum of force, while also keeping bending to a minimum.
The systems are compact and take up only a small amount of space while providing accurate results for quality control and R&D applications.
The puncture test system has a special fixture for aligning curved needles. The system also incorporates a torsional drive so that curved needles maintain a constant entry angle. The membrane holder also rotates to allow tests to be carried out at fresh locations.
The needle bend system uses a torsional drive to push the needle against a fixed anvil to measure bend properties. Different sized needles can easily be accomodated and tested.
Included with the system is the Merlin software package, which will allow the user to quickly achieve maximum productivity. Furthermore, it can easily be adapted to changes in fixtures and future changes to testing requirements.
For more information on materials testing, click here.