Loccioni (Italy)

Background and importanceIn 2014, the hospital pharmacy started a project to implement a central intravenous additive service (CIVAS) unit. A pre-feasibility study was performed, a new class C clean room equipped with the robotic system APOTECA unit was built and the fully automated aseptic production process was validated. In 2016, the CIVAS started producing standard doses of chemotherapy supportive treatments (palonosetron, ondansetron, dexamethasone) in ready-to-administer form for the oncology and haematology units. The production was then shifted to antibiotics (cefazolin, piperacillin–tazobactam, ceftriaxone) and pantoprazole for infectious disease, cardiac surgery and emergency medicine departments. Currently, the in-advance production of batch preparations at CIVAS is mainly based on daily consumption and performed by one pharmacy technician and one pharmacist (0.25 full time equivalent each). The working day is from 8am to 4pm (Monday–Friday).Aim and objectivesThe aim of this study was to analyse the performance of the CIVAS over the past year and evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the increasing demands for sterile antibiotics by emergency departments.Material and methodsOverall CIVAS production, dosage accuracy and average production time (APT) of each ready-to-administer preparation were evaluated over a period of 12 months (from September 2019 to August 2020). Data were collected from the APOTECA statistical tool.Results12 215 preparations were compounded, of which 26% were in syringe (1 g cefazolin, APT 125 s) and 74% in 100 mL NaCl 0.9% infusion bags (55% for 4.5 g piperacillin–tazobactam, ATP 203 s; 14% for 40 mg pantoprazole, ATP 196 s; 5% for 2 g ceftriaxone, ATP 177 s). Average dosage accuracy for all preparations was 98.9±1%. During the peak of Italy’s COVID-19 outbreak (March 2020), weekly production increased by 28%. The production of pantoprazole remained steady, while piperacillin–tazobactam and ceftriaxone for the emergency departments increased considerably (+19% and 9%, respectively) and cefazolin for the cardiac surgery department decreased by 26%.Conclusion and relevanceImplementation of a fully automated CIVAS allows measuring and controlling every step of the production process for ready-to-administer preparations. The study showed that CIVAS met increasing demands for sterile antibiotics during the pandemic crisis, thereby supporting the emergency units and providing the highest level of quality and safety.References and/or acknowledgementsBufarini C. Centralised non-hazardous intravenous compounding: improvement of clinical practice. Eur J Hosp Pharm 2018.Conflict of interestNo conflict of interest

Background and importanceThe introduction of the pharmacy based central intravenous additive service (CIVAS) enabled the batches production of ready-to-administer, non-hazardous intravenous drugs by using the robotic system APOTECAunit. The clinical benefits in terms of a higher quality aseptic process, reduced medication errors and increased quality control testing have been demonstrated.Aim and objectivesThe aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of the fully automatised CIVAS on the working efficiency of the wards by measuring the time saved in daily nursing practice.Material and methodsThe study was conducted over 3 months with data collected before and after introducing the CIVAS. Overall, three wards were analysed: inpatient haematology (IH), cardiac surgical (CS) and infectious diseases (ID). The nursing staff was observed daily for 4 weeks. Different tasks associated with the following intravenous drugs supplied by the CIVAS were recorded: ondansetron, palonosetron, cefazoline, piperacillin–tazobactam, ceftriaxone and dexamethasone. The average working time spent on managing intravenous drugs was calculated per full time equivalent (FTE), including direct activities (intravenous drug preparation) and indirect activities (procurement of drugs and medical devices, drugs inventory management, drug ordering). 1.0 FTE was equivalent to a nurse working 8.0 hours per day, 5 days per week.ResultsThe overall time spent on managing intravenous drugs decreased from 1.6 to 0.7 hours/day/FTE in the IH ward, from 0.75 to 0.15 hours/day/FTE in the CS ward and from 2.1 to 0.43 hours/day/FTE in the ID ward. Before implementing the CIVAS, on average 1.0 FTE spent 0.5 hours/day on preparing intravenous drugs, whereas the intravenous drug preparation time was reduced to zero afterwards in each of the three wards. The time spent on procurement decreased by 80% in the IH ward, by 60% in the CS ward and by 75% in the ID ward. The nursing staff shortened the time required for drug inventory management by 33% in the CS ward and by 50% in the IH and ID wards. In all wards, ordering of drugs was reduced by at least 50%.Conclusion and relevanceThe study showed that the centralised, automated preparation of intravenous drugs optimised the working efficiency of the wards, thereby allowing the nursing staff to dedicate more time to perform tasks directly involved with patient care.References and/or acknowledgementsConflict of interestNo conflict of interest

Speed up legacy Connectivity by c. 35% Enforce rectangular (or no) ROI for Slice Geometry

In the present automotive scenario, along with hybridization, GDI technology is progressively spreading in order to improve the powertrain thermal efficiency. In order to properly match the fuel spray development with the combustion chamber design, using robust and accurate diagnostics is required. In particular, for the evaluation of the injection quality in terms of spray shape, vision tests are crucial for GDI injection systems. By vision tests, parameters such as spray tip penetration and cone angles can be measured, as the operating conditions in terms of mainly injection pressure, injection strategy, and chamber counter-pressure are varied. Provided that a complete experimental spray characterization requires the acquisition of several thousand spray images, an automated methodology for analyzing spray images objectively and automatically is mandatory. A decisive step in a spray image analysis procedure is binarization, i.e., the extraction of the spray structure from the background. Binarization is particularly challenging for GDI sprays, given their lower compactness with respect to diesel sprays. In the present paper, two of the most diffused automated binarization algorithms, namely the Otsu and Yen methods, are comparatively validated with an innovative approach derived from the Triangle method—the Last Minimum Criterion—for the analysis of high-pressure GDI sprays. GDI spray images acquired with three injection pressure levels (up to 600 bar) and two different optical setups (backlight and front illumination) were used to validate the considered algorithms in challenging conditions, obtaining encouraging results in terms of accuracy and robustness for the proposed approach.

PurposeKnowing the factors influencing the success of collaborative innovation is particularly relevant for both academics and practitioners. Nonetheless, many studies have regarded the megatrends influencing innovation imperatives, the development of co-innovation strategies, the selection of partners and the involvement of user communities, but not so much the understanding of how the co-innovation process is concretely designed and managed. Adding to extant research, the purpose of this paper is to explore how companies collaborate in co-innovation processes.Design/methodology/approachA longitudinal, single case study has been conducted on the co-innovation process between Loccioni, an Italian medium-sized, high tech family firm, and Pfizer, one of the largest companies operating in the pharmaceutical sector.FindingsFrom the case study analysis, three main results have emerged. First, the role of medium-sized companies in leading the co-innovation process as both the initiator and orchestrator. Second, the interplay between the local and the global dimension of co-innovation and the importance of (un)formal roles in innovation. Third, the “double funnel” of co-innovation, linking both the technological and the relational dimensions. Specifically, the case highlights the relevance of the relational – beyond the technological – aspects of co-innovation, providing a relational model that links the geographical dimensions (local/distant) and the role of specific individuals.Originality/valueThe paper presents an example of how a medium-sized firm has implemented its co-innovation process, shedding new light on possible barriers and success factors that other smaller or similar companies may follow when dealing with large multinationals.

The paper is devoted to the development of a numerically-controlled experimental bench dedicated to the testing of automotive electric drives. The bench is built around (i) a power system made up of two DC-AC converters with their AC sides connected through a three phase inductor, and (ii) a control system incorporating a NI PXI interface in which is embedded a real-time simulation HIL system. The control of the power system is simply achieved by two analog signals that are converted to PWM signals driving the switches of the DC-AC converters. The potentialities of the developed bench are highlighted through the emulation of different automotive cycles including acceleration and braking.

This paper presents an innovative press-fitting station that combines a hydraulic cylinder and a piezoelectric actuator to reach micrometric accuracy in axial positioning. The hydraulic cylinder permits a long operation range, while the piezoactuator provides dynamic action and micrometric accuracy. The experimental characterisation of the prototype press is presented together with the physical phenomena influencing the system performance. The tests are done using cylindrical plugs and sleeves to replicate the insertion of shafts into holes. The test samples are designed and machined to obtain a known interference fit. The classic press-fit assembly process can barely reach micrometric accuracy because the deformation on the contact surface cannot easily be measured. The presented press-fit station can overcome these limits thanks to the developed control strategy: When the piezoactuator is driven by an amplitude-modulated sinusoidal signal, it can realize assemblies with a maximum error in the final positioning of ± 2 μm for an insertion force of up to 20 kN.