Tensile Testing of Surgical Sutures
Methods and Equipment for Suture Testing
Sutures are some the most commonly used hospital consumables. Used in most surgeries and wound closures to join body tissues, sutures are typically either absorbable, meaning they will naturally decompose after the wound has healed, or non-absorbable and need to be removed by a physician. They can also be coated or non-coated, with a coating typically exhibiting antibiotic properties to reduce the chances of infection.
It is extremely important that suture manufacturers are confident in the tensile strength of their products. Sutures are first subjected to tensile strength during the application process and then need to maintain near constant tension on tissues while the healing process occurs. The risks of failure are high: sutures used internally can cause internal bleeding or other fatal complications should they break or become too slack.
Tensile properties can change depending on the material, size, and coating of the suture. Though the ASTM and ISO organizations do not have a standard specifically dedicated to the testing of sutures, biomedical manufacturers still perform tensile tests in order to obtain a full mechanical profile. Tensile tests are typically performed on the suture with and without a knot to mimic real world use.
Most biomedical testing is performed on a single column materials testing system such as Instron's 3400 Series. Though suture testing typically only requires maximum load measurements, more advanced testing systems such as Instron's 6800 Series can be a better choice for labs with multiple testing applications. For those with high throughput needs, Instron's AT6 automation system can be configured for testing sutures along with many other materials.
| Suture Test Setup | |
|---|---|
| 1) | 3400 Series Universal Testing System |
| 2) | Bluehill Universal Software |
| 3) | 2530 Series Load Cell |
| 4) | 2712-041 Pneumatic Side-Action Grips |
6800 系列 - 万能材料试验系统
Instron 的6800 系列万能材料试验系统提供出色的精度及可靠性。 6800 系列基于正在申请专利的操作员保护架构，具有全新的智能气动控制装置和碰撞保护功能，使材料测试比以往任何时候都更简单、更智能、更安全。
Bluehill Universal 手册
Bluehill Universal 软件专为直观的触摸交互式用户体验而构建。通过预加载试验方法、数秒内的QuickTest、增强数据导出，以及 Instron Connect（一项可与服务工程师直接联系的新功能）等功能去探索更简单、更智能的测试方式。Bluehill 2、 Bluehill 3 等旧版本软件的用户可以轻松升级到最新版本的 Bluehill。