Hip Wear Simulator
The Prosim Hip Wear Simulator is a multi-station machine designed for the reliable and repeatable testing of hip implants, providing designers and developers of replacement hip joints with a cost-effective and accurate means of measuring wear under realistic in-vivo simulated conditions. Prosim is able to offer customisation of its simulators to meet client's specific testing requirements.
Historically, Prosim has used a combination of servo-motors and pneumatics, driven by closed loop, real-time feedback circuits, provides an effective way of accurately simulating the range of forces and motions that hip implants are subjected to in everyday life. As part of the next step in the evolution of its simulators Prosim has committed to the development of fully electro-mechanical systems that can operate up to and beyond the ISO standard and provide a cleaner, more cost-effective alternative to hydraulic systems.
Empirical data generated by our simulators over the last fifteen years supports the assertion that the patterns of wear of hip implants tested in Prosim Hip Wear Simulators accurately mirrors that of the wear of implants extracted from humans after years of use.
The Prosim Hip Wear Simulator enables up to ten hip implants to be tested simultaneously to produce an accurate emulation of in-vivo hip joint movement and wear on three axes. The simulator is available in either five or ten station versions and can be customised as required.
The Prosim Hip Wear Simulator includes numerous features and benefits:
- up to ten hip implants can be tested simultaneously
- two or three axes of articulation
- single load axis per station
- simple user programmability of any articulation/load cycle
- any station can be isolated from articulation to allow creep measurement to be made
- operating frequency of motions programmable up to 1.5Hz
- capable of running programmed sequences combining walking, jogging and periods of rest
- up to +/-60 degrees of programmable motion on the flexion extension axis
- up to +/-30 degrees of programmable motion on the axial rotation axis
- user programmable loading up to 6 kN per station
- displacement or driven micro-separation
- easy to use Windows operator screen
- real-time logging of position and load allows instant verification of test cycle
- clinically and physiologically representative testing
Prosim is able to offer customisation of its simulators to meet client's specific testing requirements.
To access Professor John Fisher's published academic papers relating to the wear testing of hip implants using the Prosim Hip Wear Simulator please click here.
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