PFI-TT: Virtual Reality Training for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Manufacturing Operations

这一创新-技术转化伙伴关系(PFI-TT)项目如果成功，其更广泛的影响/商业潜力是解决制药制造业专门领域的熟练劳动力短缺问题，例如活性药物成分(原料药)的生产。建议的技术包括针对原料药制造流程的用户友好的虚拟现实和增强现实(VR/AR)培训框架。目前的培训方法，包括课堂学习和基于计算机的学习，没有充分解决制造操作员所需的关键技能，导致操作和维护关键工艺设备的困难。因此，进度中断和批处理失败会发生，并造成时间和金钱的重大损失。拟议的基于VR/AR的培训预计将弥补制药培训流程的不足，这些流程导致操作员持续出错，并推迟药物供应，就像在新冠肺炎大流行期间所看到的那样。提出的虚拟模拟提供了协调的视觉空间知觉反馈线索，以发展程序知识和记忆的运动技能。互动培训积极地让学员探索行动和结果之间的联系，建立图式，并开发详细、准确的原料药制造操作的心理模型。最佳培训可以为有需要的患者提供负担得起的、精确的和高质量的仿制药和个性化药物输送。拟议的项目将开发一个互动的、照片逼真的VR/AR框架，用于培训技术人员有效药物成分(API)的操作。当前的虚拟模块不能跨多个设备进行扩展，并且在构建时没有考虑到最终用户的定制。该项目推进了多模式(增强现实、混合现实和桌面VR)支持，允许通过头盔显示器、手持平板设备和/或台式计算机访问，以适应不同的学习方式。该项目的目标是：1)识别VR/AR特定的视觉、听觉和触觉线索，以加强API操作中训练的转移和保持；2)明智地使用这些功能来设计和实施多模式访问的虚拟培训。照片真实感模块将包括非常详细的API操作、组件组装/拆卸程序，以及通过交互参数修改的替代场景可视化/模拟。可定制的界面功能允许用户启用或禁用指南/查询功能、字幕和音频。在适当的虚拟现实培训之后，将观察参与者的表现，以纳入迭代增强。智能的优点包括可定制的VR/AR接口的新颖设计，降低了认知负荷，并优化了视觉、听觉和触觉刺激的整合，用于训练-转移和保持。成功的标准将集中在准确性、时间表优化和安全性上，以展示VR在药物培训中的效率。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project, if successful, is to address the shortage of skilled workforce in specialized areas of the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, such as production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). The proposed technology consists of a user-friendly Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) training framework for API manufacturing processes. Current training methods, including in-class and computer-based learning, do not adequately address the critical skills that manufacturing operators need, resulting in difficulties in operating and maintaining key process equipment. Consequently, schedule disruptions and batch failures occur and cause significant losses of time and money. The proposed VR/AR-based training is expected to remedy the inadequacies of pharmaceutical training processes that cause continued operator errors and delay drug availability as witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed virtual simulation offers coordinated visual spatial perception feedback cues to develop motor skills for procedural knowledge and memory. The interactive training actively engages trainees to explore the connections between actions and outcomes, build schemas, and develop detailed, accurate mental models of API manufacturing operations. Optimal training may provide affordable, precise, and quality drug delivery for generic and personalized medicines to needy patients.The proposed project will develop an interactive, photorealistic VR/AR framework for training technicians in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) operations. Current virtual modules are not scalable across multiple devices and are not built with the end user customization in mind. This project advances multimodal (augmented reality, mixed reality, and desktop VR) support, accommodating access via head mounted displays, hand-held tablet devices, and/or desktop computers to accommodate diverse learning styles. The project goals are to: 1) identify VR/AR-specific visual, auditory, and haptic cues to enhance transfer of training and retention in API operations, 2) judicious use of these features to design and implement virtual training for multimodal access. The photorealistic modules will include highly-detailed API operations, component assembly/dismantling procedures, and alternative scenario visualization/simulation through interactive parameter modification. Customizable interface functionalities allow users to enable or disable guidance/query features, captions, and audio. Following proper VR training, participant performance will be observed to incorporate iterative enhancements. The intellectual merit involves the novel design of customizable VR/AR interfaces reducing cognitive load and optimizing integration of visual, auditory, and haptic stimuli for training-transfer and retention. The metrics for success will focus on accuracy, schedule optimization, and safety in order to demonstrate the efficiency of VR in pharmaceutical training.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.