Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to compare a range of quality and continuous improvement strategies and to investigate whether there is a best choice of strategy for use within the medical devices sector. Design/methodology/approach -A brief literature-based review of a number of continuous improvement strategies. Comparison of these strategies and a subsequent discussion of the rationale that guides the choice of strategy based on the prevailing conditions. An overview of this process in the context of the medical devices sector is provided. Findings -Quality and continuous improvement strategies can be differentiated in terms of their cultural or process focus. Moreover, the favoured leadership style of an organisation may play a part in determining which strategies are likely to be most appropriate. From the medical device and healthcare product perspective, regulatory and purchasing considerations will have a role in determining the strategy adopted. Practical implications -For managers seeking to implement a strategy for continuous improvement, a review of organisational leadership styles may help the decision -making process. For the medical devices sector, in particular, the need to align the strategy adopted with regulatory requirements is perhaps self-evident. However, only by a detailed understanding of the issues involved in continuous improvement, can all of the attendant benefits be gained. Originality/value -The paper proposes a link between a given organisation's favoured leadership style and the applicability of a particular continuous improvement strategy. The implications for the medical device and healthcare technologies sector are specifically addressed.

The photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to fuels, or useful products, is an area of active research. In this work, nanoengineering and surface modification of titania were investigated as approaches for improving the CO2 reduction efficiency in a fixed-bed gas phase batch photoreactor under UV-Vis irradiation. Titania nanotubes were prepared by a hydrothermal method, and TiO2 (P25) was surface modified with copper clusters. Unmodified TiO2 (P25) was used as the benchmark comparison. The titania nanotubes and Cu-TiO2 materials showed higher efficiency for the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to yield CH4 as compared to P25. Carbon monoxide yields were similar for all photocatalysts tested. The photocatalytic reduction of CO2 was observed on all photocatalyst tested, with the nanotubes proving to be the most efficient for the production of CH4. The product yields per mass of catalyst observed in this work are similar to those reported in the literature (with similar reactor parameters) but the calculated formal quantum efficiencies for CO2 reduction are very low (4.41 x 10-5 to 5.95 x 10-4).

The increasing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere exerts a significant influence on global warming and climate change. The capture and utilization of CO2 by conversion to useful products is an area of active research. In this work, the photo-driven reduction of CO2 was investigated using graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) as a potential photocatalyst. The photocatalytic reduction of CO2 was investigated with g-C3N4 powder immobilized on a glass support in a batch gas phase photoreactor. The experiments were carried out under UV-Vis irradiation at 70°C and an initial pressure of 2.5 bar. The only gas phase product detected during the irradiation of the g-C3N4 in the presence of CO2 was CO, and the rate of production was observed to decrease over time. Oxygen doped g-C3N4 was also tested for CO2 reduction but had lower efficiency that the parent g-C3N4. Repeated cycles of photocatalytic CO2 reduction showed a decline in the activity of the g-C3N4. In the absence of CO2 some CO generation was also observed. Characterization of used and unused materials, using FTIR and XPS, showed an increase in the oxygen functional groups following UV-Vis irradiation or thermal treatment. While others report the use of g-C3N4 as a photocatalyst, this work highlights the important need for replicates and control testing to determine material stability.

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