Lucideon Doubles U.S.-Based Wear-Testing Capabilities

United Kingdom-based Lucideon Ltd. has invested in a new six-station knee wear-testing simulator, doubling its capacity to perform knee wear testing for orthopedic implant manufacturers and taking the total investment in this service to more than $1.5 million across the group, according to company officials.

Lucideon offers wear and fatigue testing and debris analysis from sites in the United Kinddom and the United States. The company has invested in AMTI and ProSim wear simulators and performs testing to all parts of ISO 14242 for hip and ISO 14243 for knee wear simulation.

“The new investment of a second six-station knee wear simulator is a reflection of the demand for our services and our commitment to supplying this demand,” said Frank Anderson, president of Lucideon’s U.S. operations. “We are committed to developing centers of excellence for hip and knee wear testing on both sides of the Atlantic. We also plan to develop and validate methods for other joints, such as ankles, as these product lines become increasingly important to our clients.”

Lucideon’s analytical capabilities include non-contact surface roughness evaluation (3-D profiling), scanning electron microscope evaluation and laser diffraction techniques. According to the company, development work can be done to go beyond ISO standards and a comprehensive test report will be included to help with regulatory submission.

Lucideon also offers materials development and characterization, regulatory approval testing packages, cleanliness validation, process troubleshooting and failure analysis, using chemical, physical, mechanical and surface analysis applications. The company operates in the aerospace and defense, construction, healthcare, nuclear energy, power generation and other industries.

In the United States, Lucideon has facilities in Schenectady, N.Y., and Greenville, S.C.