Force testing systems have a variety of applications in the medical field, where products often require testing in multiple facets of their design. This requires several standard operating procedures for force testing a single product, or facet of a product, and to ensure safety the design of these procedures must cover all aspects of the materials being used. From design to manufacture, a single medical product could have every component and its features tested for a variety of factors ranging from application, to its potential wear over time, and the integrity of its base material or materials in its composition. In the example of the syringe, from disposable varieties to laboratory equipment, force testing can be implemented from start to finish to determine both the properties of the materials in its manufacture and its usage in the field.
Typical injection syringes can be broken down into some basic components, even as base materials vary by design and intended application. The plunger length and the barrel itself can be composed of similar materials, often plastics for the disposable varieties. At other times, the barrel may be composed of glass, which allows for sterilization in heated chambers (autoclaves) enabling reuse under certain conditions. In either case, it is important to know the properties of the material composing the device, and force testers used in quality assurance systems can ensure that the materials are capable of supporting the usage of the device.