Applied Technical Services offers a wide array of orthopedic implant testing capabilities to ensure our clients’ products work precisely as intended. The human body is an intricate thing, relying on bones, joints, and muscles working in perfect concert to produce pain-free movement. Certain medical conditions will require surgical intervention to prevent bone and joint damage, however. These procedures often entail outfitting patients with orthopedic implants — metallic or polymeric prosthetics that replace all or part of a joint or bone — which must meet a multitude of criteria to perform effectively.
Orthopedic implant manufacturers pursue testing from a variety of labs to verify that each of their products complies with the stringent mechanical, dimensional, compositional, and cleanliness specifications required to ensure they serve the patient as intended. ATS regularly performs the appropriate methods to verify these characteristics in-house and is thus uniquely equipped to meet the testing needs of orthopedic implant manufacturers.
ATS’ Orthopedic Implant Testing Capabilities
We offer a suite of applicable testing services to help clients ensure that the orthopedic implants they produce meet the needs of their patients. We perform the following methods to that end:
Mechanical — determining the physical performance characteristics of the sample material, such as its long-term durability, strength against massive loads, etc.
- Fatigue Testing — ASTM E399*, E466, E606, E1290*, E1820*
- Tensile/Compression Testing — ASTM A370*, D638*, D3039/D3039M, E8*, F606/F606M*; EN 10002‑1; ISO 527*, 6892‑1*, 6892‑2*
Chemical Composition — verifying the chemical makeup of the sample matrix for quality control
- ICP-AES — ASTM E1479*
- FTIR — ASTM E1252*
- XRD — ATS-962*, ASTM D934*
Cleanliness — detecting any foreign material including residual manufacturing materials in the sample to validate production processes and identify sources of pollutant if any are found
- Gravimetric Cleanliness (Polar, Non-Polar and Particulate) — ASTM F2459, F2847, F3127
- SEM-EDS — ASTM E1508*
- Ion Chromatography — ASTM D4327*
Coating Analysis — checking the qualities of the coating used on the sample, including thickness, weight, adhesiveness, etc.
- Adhesion — ASTM D2197, D3359*, D4541, D6677; ISO 2409*, 4624
- Mass, Weight, and Thickness — ASTM A90*, B137*, B487*, B748*, D7091*, F1854
Metallurgical Inspection — finding the microstructural properties of the sample material, including grain characteristics, porosity, inclusion content, secondary phases, and other notable features
- Microstructural Analysis — E45*, E112*, E1245*
Dimensional Inspection — measuring the sample to verify that its size and shape fall within the precise geometric tolerances set out in its design specifications
- Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) — ASME Y 14.5*
- Computed Tomography (CT) — MAT-P-1203*
Failure Analysis — discovering the root causes behind failed samples, whether improper use, inappropriate constituent material, or other factors*Indicates our labs are ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited by the A2LA to perform the test to its noted specifications
About Applied Technical Services
In the five decades since our founding in 1967, Applied Technical Services has worked to provide our quality testing, inspection, and consulting engineering capabilities to our esteemed clientele. ATS employs over 1,000 chemists, inspectors, forensic investigators, instructors, metallurgists, Professional Engineers, and technicians to meet the varied needs of clients operating around the world. Although the services listed above regularly serve other industries, our capacity for orthopedic implant testing solely benefits our medical customers.
We Take Quality Seriously
All testing performed in our Marietta headquarters complies with our stringent quality management system, certified to ISO 9001:2015. Holding this designation indicates that we have repeatedly submitted our business processes to a rigorous audit by ISO-approved inspectors who find that our procedures meet the requirements set down by the internationally recognized standard on effective quality assurance practices. ATS invites this scrutiny because we are determined to provide our clients with service of the highest quality, which we pursue by holding ourselves publicly accountable for the caliber of our work.
We uphold several customer service policies to ensure our clients enjoy a fantastic experience working with us, including:
- Providing accurate, detailed, clear reporting within a short turnaround window
- ATS prides ourselves in quickly delivering the information clients rely on to make timely, informed decisions
- Encouraging clients to reach out by phone or email should they have questions about the status or results of their testing
- Our team of customer service ambassadors facilitates contact with the most relevant subject-matter expert
- Putting the customer first by ensuring our accessible, responsive lab personnel answer client questions
- These specialists remain engaged as they help clear up the customer’s concerns
Orthopedic implants need testing to verify that they are fit for patient use. Why not have it all done in one place? Contact ATS today for a free quote — We take a closer look!
