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Course "Fundamentals of Statistical Process Control: Implementation and Assurance of SPC" has been pre-approved by RAPS as eligible for up to 12 credits towards a participant's RAC recertification upon full completion. Overview: This 2-day seminar provides the information you need to use one of the most powerful tools in quality, statistical process control. It will help people in design, quality, and production understand the concepts and effectively implement them. The examples and issues in the seminar come primarily from the medical device industry, but the material is applicable to any production environment. Production process must be controlled to help ensure they are stable. While there are many control methods, the most powerful and often used is statistical process control, SPC. It uses data from the process itself to detect changes - changes that could result from an unstable process. SPC helps determine if a process continues to operate the way it was set up. If not, SPC produces a signal that calls attention to the problem. One very important application is process capability analysis. With a stable process, SPC data can help determine if the process is capable of meeting the product specifications. These are often expressed as process capability indices. Continuous improvement programs can use the information generated by SPC to monitor process variation and identify its causes. These methods can reduce cost, improve product, and enhance customer satisfaction. Why should you attend: Manufacturing companies, especially medical device manufacturers, must control process. Not only is this a regulatory requirement, but is a good business practice. Without a solid understanding of SPC, you put yourself and your company at a disadvantage. On a personal basis, the material in this seminar will help improve your skills; it aligns with the ASQ Body of Knowledge for the Certified Quality Engineer, Green Belt, and Black Belt. These are areas you should master

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a chronic condition that is characterized by the regurgitation of stomach contents into the throat. GERD is also known as acid reflux disease and it occurs in people of all ages. In milder cases, GERD can be effectively treated with simple pharmacological therapies or by altering a patient's diet. In more severe cases, esophageal surgery might be necessary to remove the troublesome esophageal sphincter and/or improve a patient's general physical condition. GERD can develop when the lower esophageal valve relaxes or becomes weakened. The diagnosis of GERD and gastroesophageal reflux disease can be done by examining the medical history and symptoms. Although acid-reflux disease typically affects the upper body, some of its symptoms can extend down the esophageal tract, making GERD particularly troubling for people who sit or stand for long periods of time. This problem has given rise to a variety of different approaches to treatment, including invasive, surgical treatments, non-surgical treatments and more novel, non-invasive therapeutic approaches. The latest treatment option on the table involves using pharmaceuticals, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), to help reduce the effects of GERD. There are a number of advantages to this strategy. For starters, SSRIs are believed to have numerous side effects that tend to make them less attractive to certain groups of patients. Electrical stimulation (ESD) is another common form Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Treatment Devices. This technique involves the use of electrodes attached to the esophageal wall to generate a varying amount of electrical current. Antirheumatic drugs, which often cause symptoms similar to those of severe heart disease, are sometimes added to the mixture. A major disadvantage of using plicator devices with ESD is that the procedure can only be performed on an outpatient basis, requiring a patient to remain in the hospital for a fe