The Prosim Universal Joint Simulator enables comprehensive testing of shoulder, elbow, and ankle joint prostheses, as well as natural human and porcine joints. It also supports detailed wear and friction testing for single knee, hip, and lumbar spinal joint prostheses and corresponding biological specimens.
The Six Axis Universal Joint Simulator
- ISO 14242-1 – Wear of total hip-joint prostheses: load/displacement parameters and environmental conditions (load control)
- ISO 14243-1 – Wear of total knee-joint prostheses: load/displacement parameters and environmental conditions (load control)
- ISO 14243-3 – Wear of total knee-joint prostheses: load/displacement parameters and environmental conditions (displacement control)
- ISO 14242-4 – Hip prosthesis testing under varied component positioning and direct edge loading
- ISO 18192-1 – Wear of total intervertebral (TDR) lumbar disc prostheses: load/displacement parameters and environmental conditions
- ISO 7206-6 – Endurance of stemmed femoral components
- ISO 14879-1 – Endurance of tibial trays
- ISO 16402 – Flexural fatigue testing of acrylic resin cement
- ASTM F2790 – Characterisation of motion-preserving lumbar total facet prostheses
- ASTM F2777-10 – Tibial insert endurance and deformation under high flexion
- ASTM F2028 – Dynamic evaluation of glenoid loosening
- Supports wear and friction testing of single knee, hip, and lumbar spinal prostheses, plus natural human and porcine joints
- Also supports testing of shoulder, elbow, and ankle prostheses, including human and porcine specimens
- Fully electro-mechanically driven axes
- Six-axis load cell beneath lower sample holder
- Runs up to 50 programmable profile sequences and pauses to simulate daily activity (e.g., stair climbing)
- Motion frequency programmable from 0.01 Hz to 2.0 Hz
We have recently introduced the Peltier Heater/Cooler system (section 2.8) which automatically maintains the test fluid media (serum) temperature at 37°C ±2°C, replacing the old heater and pump system circulating the test fluid media externally. As a result, we help the customer to achieve a huge saving on the cost of serum, as only 1/3 of the serum volume is required on a self-contained Peltier heater unit in contrast to the pump + heater system.
The end result is a simulator that is equally at home being used for the biomechanical study of cruciate ligaments in a cadaveric knee sample as it is for running a ‘quick and dirty’ 1 million cycle adverse wear test on a new coating for an implant.
The headline performance specification is as follows:
- Operate in the range 0.01Hz to 0.5Hz for in-depth biomechanical studies and
- 0.5Hz to 2.5Hz for in-depth bio-tribological studies
- Six independent axes of articulation allowing the mounting of a complete femoral stem, for the study of both cadaveric and non-cadaveric samples.
- All six axes are electromechanically driven to allow precise control of both force and displacement across all six axes of motion
- Featuring Peltier temperature control system to maintain test fluid media temperature at 37°C ±2°C
Custom simulators.
The Prosim Six Axis Universal Joint Simulator supports test durations in excess of 10 million cycles and allows the facility to pause the test cycle at any point to allow assessment of the wear of the sample. The user as required may terminate the test.
Prosim also offers customisation of simulators to meet the client’s specific testing requirements, including additional stations and different configurations.
Contact us.
If you have any specific requirements not fully addressed by the above, please do not hesitate to contact us.
We are always happy to look at the customisation of existing equipment or design and build projects to a customer’s specifications.