Biomedical devices are now coated with very thin coatings which offer protection or compatibility. Measuring the mechanical properties of such coatings is very challenging as the substrates can often be soft and flexible and/or the area of interest may be very small (e.g., stents, catheters, release valves, etc..). CSM Instruments have developed a range of instruments which can be classified as follows: indentation instruments for measuring hardness and elastic modulus of very small material volumes, scratch testing equipment for measuring the adhesion and scratch resistance of very thin coatings, and Tribometers for measuring the friction and wear properties of thin films and coatings. This presentation will give an overview of each method and a range of examples related to the biomedical materials field. Special emphasis will be on the challenges faced when testing complex structures and how such problems can be solved and accurate mechanical properties measured. Examples will include stents, prosthetic joint coatings, dental materials, bone and other rigid tissue, etc.