Harland Medical Systems presents a compact, versatile instrument specifically designed for measuring lubricious coating performance on medical devices such as catheters, guidewires, introducers and similar products. For years the “pinch test” has been the standard for measuring the performance of lubricious coatings.
The redesigned FTS7000 Friction Test System makes creating, running and analyzing these tests simple, accurate, and fast. The FTS7000 quickly guides you through setting up a test protocol, storing the protocol in memory, running a test, and analyzing the results. Test samples are inserted into one of a variety of available sample holders and suspended from the FTS7000’s force gauge． Clamping pressure and friction surface are provided by two silicone rubber pads located above a water bath.
Dynamic Clamp Control maintains uniform clamp force should your sample’s diameter vary over the length tested. After running a test, easily export raw data from the FTS7000 using one of its available data ports – transfer files to a local network via ethernet connection or USB flash drive. The FTS7000 houses its own touch-screen, and enables easy creation of test protocols, test execution and customizable reporting of results.
Easy Setup
To run a test simply fasten your sample to one of the available sample holders, select or modify a test protocol and move the clamping mechanism to the desired starting position.
Touch “Start Test” and the FTS7000 will do the rest.
Quick Calibration
The FTS7000 force gauge and clamp can be easily calibrated in just a few minutes using a Harland weighted calibration kit and the built-in calibration program that comes pre-installed with the machine.
Display of Results
As the test runs, the display shows the results in both tabular and graphic form.
An information bar at the top of the screen displays the name of the running protocol, the applied clamp force, and the measured pull force.
After a test is complete, a customizable test report can be viewed on-screen or sent to an external device via network or USB drive for more analysis.
Users can choose to view the test graph with the cycle results displayed end-to-end or with the test cycles laid on top of one another.
The overlay option makes “outlier” cycles easier to spot.
Intuitive Software
The FTS7000 utilizes Harland’s completely re-designed and upgraded TestingWorks 2.0 software.
This new edition allows operators to visually overlay multiple test cycle results; check test protocol and stored data integrity via verification checksums; and generate custom reports.
Combined with Its easy-to-use touchscreen interface, the FTS7000 simplifies creating, modifying and storing new test protocols.
Three levels of user password protection (operator, technician, and engineer) ensure that only authorized personnel can create or edit protocols and alter other machine functions.
Options
- Console cart with casters and leveling feet, includes extended water bath for testing longer samples (see Specification table for more details). Includes integrated pull-out keyboard and tray.
- Water bath heater and circulating pump enable testing at body temperature. Bath temperature is programmable into test protocol settings. Available in console cart version only.
- Available handheld barcode reader enables users to accurately select a test protocol for a barcoded device. Barcode reader minimizes operator error in selecting proper test protocol for bar-coded devices.
- Annual service and calibration programs available to protect your investment, keep FTS7000 software up to date, and extend the life of the machine.
As medical procedures evolve and become more complex, so must medical devices and the instruments we use to test them. This evolution has resulted in devices tasked with navigating increasingly tortuous pathways, necessitating higher lubricity and higher durability. The FTS7000 is an efficient and accurate way to quantify the key performance metrics of a hydrophilic coating, durability and lubricity. The FTS7000’s many features, test modes of operation, and ease-of-use make it the go-to friction test system for medical device manufacturers and laboratories across the world.
