10062481DuoVIAL LACR Modification - Visual Inspection, Process Optimisation & Quality AssuranceClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKDuoVIAL is a unique, patented, pharmaceutical primary packaging system, enabling safer, easier and more efficient reconstitution of lyophilised biological formulations, including vaccines and diagnostic reagents. Designed to Protect, Mix & Deliver, respectively the product, healthcare professionals, patients and the planet, the system is more cost effective, more compact and efficient in its' materials utilisation, whilst consisting of recyclable glass and aluminium materials. Advanced laser technologies have now evolved sufficiently to make this solution technically viable, as well as exceptionally scalable to enable commercial advantages. The ultimate application, achieving the greatest impact within global healthcare, is for lyophilised vaccines, shipped via the cold chain to developing markets. The product advantages can equally be applied to other high-value sectors, including Diagnostics, Probiotics, Wound Care and Medical Devices. Application of these laser technologies has typically been optimised for flat screen electronic displays, e.g. mobile phones, silicon wafers. Significantly more challenging is the application and optimisation of the Lasered Annular Cleave Ring (LACR) process applicable to DuoVIAL's inherently complex 3D form, having relatively significant variability and tolerances. The primary objective is to ensure the consistent 'clean-cleave' activation of a single aesthetic disc within the reconstituted formulation. Underpinning the quality assurance of current product and enabling DuoVIAL applications to expand into more challenging and regulated healthcare markets requires the development of New Metrology & Vision Inspection Systems, which can quantifiably measure, semi-transparent, µm LACR features, inline, on 100% of components and feedback into the high speed LACR process, resulting in optimised laser processing parameters. The cost of quality, or rather the lack thereof is, wasted raw materials, reduced production efficiencies, lower quality products and market opportunities unable to be exploited. Investing in R&D to underpin quality assurance and optimised processes is critical to ensuring competitive advantage in a global market, as well as being able to continue to innovate and introduce new products to market and challenge the status quo.