Consumer research experimental design

Currently, the design of the various biomedical devices is largely based on experimental activity. Because the characteristic time of polymer degradation is usually very long (up to 1 year or more), the experimental research for an optimal device design can be very time-consuming. Moreover, when the release of an expensive active compound is involved, a proper experimental design is fundamental to reduce and optimize the costs. 

Cyclic oxidation testing at elevated temperatures requires careful experimental design and the adoption of standard procedures if reliable data are to result. This is a major aim of the COTEST research programme. Further, as such tests are both time consuming and costly, in terms of human effort, to take measurements over a large number of cycles, it is important to gain maximum information from a minimum number of tests (trials). This search for standardisation of cyclic oxidation conditions leads to a series of tests to determine the relative effects of cyclic parameters on the oxidation process. Standard oxidation conditions are required to develop a code of practice for the characterisation of high temperature materials performance. 

Pilot plant experimentation is expensive and can be time consuming, delaying the introduction of the product in the marketplace. There have been trends and reports of recent successes whereby extensive pilot plant research has been bypassed. One such study involved the manufacture of bisphenol A in which laboratory work bypassed the pilot plant stage and a full-scale production unit was designed and operated successfully. This is not recommended, but using some laboratory research and simulation, may make it possible to reduce or eliminate expensive pilot plant work. However, confidence must be developed in using simulation to replace pilot plant work and this is obtained only through experience. 

Conventionally, the detailed experimentation with sensing materials candidates for their screening and optimization consumes tremendous amount of time and project cost without adding to the intellectual satisfaction. Fortunately, new synthetic and measurement principles and instrumentation significantly accelerate the development of new materials. The practical challenges in rational sensor material design also provide tremendous prospects for combinatorial materials research. 

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