October 18, 2010, Erin McCloy
Who says you can’t get anything for free these days? In a recent issue of OrthoTec, Accutek President John McCloy offered these tips for implant designers based on what Accutek’s engineers see in our mechanical testing laboratory every day.
- When possible, design with well-known materials that are established and preapproved for implants.
- Work with common fastener designs (nuts, bolts, screws, or bridges) that are tried and proven.
- Target an application and then design the device for scaling. Remember that one size does not fit all. Think about mechanical impedance matching.
- Avoid placing symbolization or identification markings in stress areas. Laser marking is extremely effective. However, when placed in stress areas laser marking may reduce product strength by 20–30%.
- Have multiple products in the pipeline to avoid becoming a one-trick pony.
- Use medical device–experienced suppliers that offer production, prototype fabrication, and testing services for medical devices. They have seen many designs and can usually provide excellent insight.
