November 4, 2025
For teams developing bioresorbable medical implants (e.g., dissolvable bone screws), biobased packaging, or tissue-engineered scaffolds, corrosion testing isn’t just about measuring rust—it’s about preserving biocompatibility and tracking biological activity during exposure. Traditional salt spray testers fail here: they use cytotoxic salt solutions that contaminate bioactive materials, ignore changes in a material’s ability to interact safely with living tissue, and lack systems to handle biohazardous test waste. This forces developers to choose between accurate corrosion data and valid biological performance—until now. The BioSafe Corr Salt Spray Tester, launched by TOBO GROUP (a leader in biocompatible testing solutions), redefines corrosion testing for biological materials by combining ASTM-compliant corrosion validation with ISO 10993-certified biocompatibility, letting teams measure both corrosion rates and biological safety in one system.
A major pain point for bio-based material developers is that most traditional salt spray testers use industrial-grade NaCl solutions with impurities (e.g., heavy metals, chlorine byproducts) that trigger cytotoxicity in bioresorbable metals (such as magnesium alloys for bone implants) or break down biopolymers (like PLA for medical scaffolds). This means test results reflect chemical damage from the solution—not just real-world corrosion. BioSafe Corr solves this with pharmaceutical-grade, ISO 10993-5 compliant salt solutions (0.9% NaCl, matching human physiological saline) made with ultra-pure deionized water (18.2 MΩ·cm resistivity) to eliminate cytotoxicity. Its chamber is lined with medical-grade PEEK (polyether ether ketone)—a material that won’t leach chemicals into the test environment, unlike the stainless steel liners in traditional testers. For specialized applications (e.g., testing implants for coastal patients), it also offers a “Biological Salt Blend” (with trace minerals matching seawater but no toxic additives) that mimics real-world exposure without compromising biocompatibility. An orthopedic implant manufacturer testing dissolvable magnesium screws previously saw 30% cell death in post-test samples due to traditional salt solutions; with BioSafe Corr, cell viability remained above 95%, letting them validate both corrosion resistance and the screw’s ability to support bone growth.
Another key challenge is that traditional testers only measure corrosion metrics (e.g., weight loss, pitting depth) but miss how corrosion affects a material’s biological function—a critical oversight for medical devices. For example, a bioresorbable stent might corrode at an acceptable rate, but its corrosion byproducts could inhibit blood vessel healing—a risk traditional tests won’t catch. BioSafe Corr addresses this with a miniaturized bio-sensor array that tracks biological changes in real time alongside corrosion data: the array includes a cell viability sensor (measuring how corrosion byproducts affect adjacent cells via fluorescent staining, compatible with 3D cell cultures), a pH/ion release tracker (monitoring the release of ions like magnesium from dissolvable implants to ensure they stay within physiologically safe ranges), and a biodegradation rate sensor (distinguishing between “corrosion” (undesirable chemical breakdown) and “controlled biodegradation” (the intended process for bioresorbable materials)). All data syncs to the system’s software, which generates a “Corrosion-Bioactivity Correlation Map”—showing, for instance, that a 5% corrosion rate correlates with a 10% drop in cell viability (a red flag for medical use). A tissue engineering firm used this feature to optimize a collagen-based wound dressing: they discovered that salt spray accelerated corrosion of the dressing’s metal reinforcement, but the byproducts didn’t harm skin cells, letting them fast-track FDA approval by proving both durability and safety.
“Biological materials can’t be tested with tools built for industrial metals,” says TOBO GROUP’s Biocompatible Testing Lead. “BioSafe Corr doesn’t just measure corrosion—it ensures that corrosion doesn’t break a material’s biological promise. For teams building products that go inside the human body or interact with living systems, that’s the difference between success and failure.”
For demo requests, compliance documentation (ISO 10993, ASTM F2129), or to learn about custom configurations for your bio-based material, visit Info@botomachine.com.
