Method and apparatus for testing breast implants

A method for determining the geometric properties and engineering mechanical properties of a multi-lumen breast implant using a load frame apparatus, the load frame apparatus comprising an upper plate and a lower plate, the multi-lumen breast implant comprising at least two shell-enclosed lumens wherein each of the at least two shell-enclosed lumens has a volume and shell thickness, the method comprising the steps of:

• Loading the breast implant into said load frame apparatus, wherein said multi-lumen breast implant is disposed between said upper plate and said lower plate;
• Implementing a dynamic load frame apparatus program wherein said upper plate and said lower plate form an area of contact with said multi-lumen breast implant, wherein the separation distance between said upper plate and said lower plate is plate spacing, wherein a dynamic compressive load is applied to said multi-lumen breast implant by a dynamic change in plate spacing, and wherein said plate spacing has a rate of change that is a crosshead speed;
• Recording said dynamic compressive load and plate spacing at a sampling rate;
• Providing a quasi-equilibrium geometric model for said multi-lumen breast implant that is a function of said plate spacing;
• Computing the multi-lumen breast implant geometric properties from said quasi-equilibrium geometric model;
• and
• Computing said engineering mechanical properties from said multi-lumen breast implant geometric properties.

A method for determining the geometric properties and engineering mechanical properties of an elastomeric device using a load frame apparatus, the load frame apparatus comprising an upper plate and a lower plate, the elastomeric device having an elastomeric device volume, the method comprising the steps of:

• Loading the elastomeric device into said load frame apparatus, wherein said elastomeric device is disposed between said upper plate and said lower plate;
• Implementing a dynamic load frame apparatus program wherein said upper plate and said lower plate form an area of contact with said elastomeric device, wherein the separation distance between said upper plate and said lower plate is plate spacing, wherein a dynamic compressive load is applied to said elastomeric device by a dynamic change in plate spacing, and wherein said plate spacing has a rate of change that is crosshead speed;
• Recording said dynamic compressive load and said plate spacing at a sampling rate;
• Providing a quasi-equilibrium geometric model for said elastomeric device that is a function of said plate spacing and said elastomeric device volume;
• Computing the elastomeric device geometric properties from said quasi-equilibrium geometric model;
• and
• Computing said engineering mechanical properties from said elastomeric device geometric properties and said dynamic compressive load.