Preparation of medical devices for evaluation.

Preparing and processing medical device implants for evaluation is a relatively high-risk and high-dollar process in which studies get made and endpoints can be lost with no second chance. It is important to customize every aspect of the preparation process to the type of device and the study endpoints. Some standard and proven approaches for a few types of implants are discussed, addressing fixation, special dissection and extraction techniques, preprocessing imaging, trimming techniques, sample processing, embedding media, and cutting and staining options.