Pharmaceutical Tablet Coating Characterization with Terahertz Technology
CURRENT SITUATION
The pharmaceutical industry faces significant challenges in manufacturing tablets with consistent quality. Ensuring uniformity in tablet coating and surface density is crucial for the efficacy and safety of pharmaceutical products. Existing measurement technologies, including Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Ultrasound, and X-ray imaging, offer precision but come with distinct advantages and limitations, as summarized in Table 1.
Table 1
| Technique | Advantages | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
|
Optical Coherence Tomography |
Non-destructive, high-resolution |
Limited penetration depth, surface curvature influence |
|
Ultrasound Attenuation |
Non-destructive, suitable for various shapes |
Requires contact, limited by material properties |
|
X-ray Imaging |
Penetrates dense coatings, detailed images |
Requires radiation protection, typically used offline |
|
Microwave Reflectometry |
Rapid, suitable for online monitoring |
Accuracy affected by shape and roughness |
|
Raman Spectroscopy |
High chemical specificity, measures multiple layers |
Limited penetration, influenced by composition |
Table 1: Advantages and limitation of Existing tablet coating measurement techniques
Principle
Utilizes Terahertz Waves (0.1 to 3.5 THz) to non-destructively to measure film coatings and tablet surface density
Case Study
Measuring quality of tablet coating within blister on AMROPRESAT
Fast & High
resolution Imaging
Real Time
Monitoring
Multi-Layer
Measuremnt
Depth
Penetration
Surface Density
Charecterization
Upto 3.5 THz
bandwidth
The table below provides a comparison of key metrics between Terahertz technology and existing measurement technologies.
| Technique | Terahertz Technology | Optical Coherence Tomography | Ultrasound Attenuation | X-ray Imaging |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Depth Penetration |
High |
Low |
Moderate |
High |
|
Non-destructive |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Resolution |
High |
High |
Moderate |
High |
|
Real-Time Monitoring |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
|
Multi-Layer Measurement |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
CONCLUSION
TeraLumen’s TeraXplor™ offers superior capabilities for non-destructive, high-resolution, and multi-layer imaging of tablet coatings. This approach addresses the limitations of conventional techniques and provides enhanced process control, ensuring consistent quality in pharmaceutical tablet manufacturing.