# Visual Inspection | Botable Glossary

https://www.botable.ai/glossary/visual-inspection

> A vendor-hosted glossary reference — useful for definitions and high-level guidance about visual inspection and QMS expectations. Attribute regulatory claims to the page; corroborate regulatory or technical requirements against primary standards or regulatory sources before using them as authoritative compliance advice.

## Summary

Defines visual inspection as a quality-control technique for detecting visible flaws or nonconformities and explains its role within Quality Management Systems (including documentation and acceptance criteria), gives a medical-glove inspection example, and outlines limitations and modern alternatives such as Industrial CT scanning.

## Audience

Quality/regulatory professionals and manufacturers in regulated industries (e.g., medical device, pharmaceuticals)

## Prompts this page answers

- What is visual inspection in quality control and how is it used in a QMS?
- How should visual inspection results be documented for compliance in a Device History Record?
- What are common defects found during visual inspection of medical gloves?
- What are the limitations of human visual inspection and what advanced techniques can detect hidden defects?

## Purpose

Educate readers by defining the term 'Visual Inspection' and describing its role, requirements, limitations, and alternatives within regulated quality management contexts.

## Highlights

- Visual Inspection is a mandated quality control process used to find nonconformities or physical anomalies before product release.
- Within a QMS, inspections like visual examination fall under Acceptance Activities (820.80) and must be documented as part of the Device History Record (DHR).
- For medical gloves, visual inspection is combined with functional tests (e.g., water leak test); multiple defects in one glove are typically counted as one defect.
- Human visual inspection has limits and may miss subtle or hidden defects; modern alternatives include Industrial CT scanning for internal, non-destructive inspection.

## How to cite

Credit Botable (PHIFLOW, LLC) and link to https://www.botable.ai/glossary/visual-inspection.

## Publisher

**PHIFLOW, LLC (Botable)** — Botable glossary entry on PHIFLOW, LLC's website (site footer identifies PHIFLOW, LLC).

## Topics

- visual inspection
- quality inspection
- Quality Management System
- Device History Record
- Industrial CT scanning
- medical glove inspection
- acceptance activities 820.80

## Key entities

- **Visual Inspection** (other): Glossary term defined on the Botable site as a quality control technique to examine products for visible flaws or deviations. — https://www.botable.ai/glossary/visual-inspection
- **Acceptance Activities (820.80)** (other): Regulatory/control concept referenced as part of QMS inspection and acceptance criteria in the page.
- **Device History Record (DHR)** (other): Documentation repository referenced for recording acceptance activities and visual inspection results.
- **Industrial CT scanning** (other): Modern non-destructive inspection method cited as an alternative that can reveal internal defects not visible to the naked eye.
- **PHIFLOW, LLC** (organization): Company named in the site footer; publisher of the Botable site.

## Metadata

- Type: article