The consequences of metal failure in medical devices can be costly and catastrophic. Whether it’s a fractured implant, corroded component, or unanticipated material behaviour, metallurgical issues can delay regulatory submissions, increase testing costs, and jeopardise patient safety. For smaller manufacturers, navigating these risks is especially difficult without early access to the right testing. For larger ones, the challenge lies in anticipating and mitigating failure points before they escalate into setbacks. The Eurofins Medical Device Services network of laboratories offers robust metallurgical engineering and characterisation services designed to uncover, understand, and resolve material issues before they become regulatory or clinical hurdles.

With state-of-the-art instrumentation and an expert team of scientists, we provide deep analytical insight into the properties, behaviour, and failure mechanisms of medical-grade metals and alloys. We offer extensive elemental analysis capabilities, complemented by cutting-edge microscopy and surface analysis methods.

Our comprehensive corrosion testing enables manufacturers to identify corrosion resistance of nitinol devices, assess the thickness and coverage of nitinol stent passivation layers, detect embrittlement in metal parts, and investigate solder joint failures. We also offer customised metallurgical investigations, including contaminant identification, failure analysis, materials identification, degradation analysis, and litigation support.

We routinely investigate a broad range of failure mechanisms, including fatigue, corrosion, ductile and brittle fracture, hydrogen embrittlement, metal creep, and stress corrosion cracking. Whether your project requires destructive or non-destructive techniques, our experts will recommend the most appropriate testing pathway.