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Joint implants
Production quality control of implant surfaces
Surface characteristics play a key role in implant manufacturing due to their importance in the healing process. To maximize the bio-compability of implants such as artificial hip joints, manufacturers add different surface treatments. But if the surface is too rough or , on the other hand, polished too much so carbides form out, this can lead to complications such as inflammations in the patient´s body or a shorter durability of the implant. The quality assurance of artificial joints and other implants therefore requires repeatable, high precision measurement technologies that determine the releveant surface parameters fast and non-destructive.
Applied measurement system:
µsurf custom: roughness measurements down to the nanometer ranges
With the confocal 3D measurement system µsurf custom, the production quality control of implant surfaces can be improved and simplified to a great extent. High speed, high resolution down to the nanometer ranges and real 3D data characterize the non-contact technology. The high precision piezo and intelligent algorithms allow roughness measurements in the low nanometer ranges like required when examining the surface of artificial hip Joints. The µsurf custom enables the simultanious determination of 2D and 3D roughness according to ISO standards and defects such as carbides and scratches in one measurement.
The industry-approved µsurf technology allows a control the exceeds the microsopic examination in a laboratory by far. Contrary to a scanning electron microscope (SEM) for example, the fully automatable quality assurance can take place integrated in the production process. Furthermore, three-dimensional chracteristics of the surface can be described that are not clearly quantifyable with two-dimensional Parameters.
Measurement and analysis:
Automated measurement and analysis of carbides with NanoFocus specialized software
To evaluate the measurement results, the NanoFocus Software µsoft analysis offers comprehensive functionalities. The appilcation-specific Carbide Analyis Module automatically recognizes and analyzes particles on the implant surface. Parameters such as number per area, height distribution, volume and dimensions are detected automatically for every measurement. Roughness and isotropy are also determined. In combination with the automation software µsoft automation, the µsurf measurement systems allow a consecutive control of production tolerances in the manufacturing process. Due to the fast measurement of the µsurf technology, in cases of deviations from the standard, the production can be stopped immediately to avoid expensive waste.
