Medical Device & Technology Test Expo 2011

After much anticipation, the medical device testing community was given an event to remember at HuLST Expo 2011.

Walter+Bei enjoyed a productive show, with many interested visitors stopping by the stand

The inaugural Medical Device & Technology Test Expo offered many visitors their first chance to see a number of industry products, such as Mark-10’s Series 5 digital force gauge and the Falcon video measuring solution from Vision Engineering.

Mark 10's Series 5 digital force gauge.

Mark-10 believes the Series 5 gauge is perfect for a broad range of industries, including medical device. Available in capacities from 0.12lb to 500lb (0.5N to 2,500N) and boasting ±0.1% accuracy, the gauge is overload protected to 150% of capacity. An analog load bar tells users when such an overload is imminent.

Many visitors saw Vision Engineering's Falcon measurement machine for the first time

Falcon has been designed with 3-axis measurement of precision machined component parts in mind, according to its creator, Vision Engineering. The technology works with a touchscreen display that shows accurate measurement results in microns.

Medical Device & Technology Test Expo 2011 also played host to Bose Corporation’s ElectroForce Series 7 software, which works with the company’s range of test equipment. Operating on the Windows 7 platform, the software allows users to alter testing protocols, and change loading profiles based on specimen response.

Other product debuts came courtesy of Mecmesin, with the MultiTest-xt, and Lloyd Instruments, manufacturers of the LS1

The big news from the Lloyd Instruments stand was the breakthroughs being made in materials testing. Such advances have been made possible due to the LS1, a 1kN testing machine, that made its debut at the show. The LS1 features a wider crosshead speed range and improved measurement accuracy for evaluating the mechanical properties and performance of medical devices.

Visitors were keen to talk to industry heavyweights Instron and Marposs about their latest developments and products for the medical device market

Other stands of great interest were Instron’s, which featured a range of test equipment including the 5900 series and the latest ElectroPuls instruments and Marposs’, which featured the first public outing Orthoflex, the company’s latest optical vision system. Over at Mecmesin, all the talk was about MultiTest-xt, a touchscreen force measurement system that is specifically designed for conducting quality control assessments.

Away from the exhibition floor, there was a full program of presentations and workshops, giving audiences the chance to find out about industry developments and trends that could have an impact on the way they operate. Kicking off proceedings was Kathleen Johnson, president and founder of Medical Device Approvals, who talked about the implementation of FDA requirements into the new product design process.
There were also presentations from key organisations in the industry including Sterigenics, Intertek, SpineServ, LMS International and Underwriters Laboratories.