Tablet physical-mechanical properties; Density; Porosity; Tablet breaking force; Pharmacopeial methods; Emerging technologies;NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY; INDUCED BREAKDOWN SPECTROSCOPY; LIGHT-INDUCED FLUORESCENCE; BREAKING STRENGTH TESTERS; AMYLOSE STARCH TABLETS; X-RAY MICROTOMOGRAPHY; AIR-COUPLED ACOUSTICS; PHARMACEUTICAL TABLETS; RAMAN-SPECTROSCOPY; COATING THICKNESS

The density, porosity, breaking force, viscoelastic properties, and the presence or absence of any structural defects or irregularities are important physical-mechanical quality attributes of popular solid dosage forms like tablets. The irregularities associated with these attributes may influence the drug product functionality. Thus, an accurate and efficient characterization of these properties is critical for successful development and manufacturing of a robust tablets. These properties are mainly analyzed and monitored with traditional pharmacopeial and non-pharmacopeial methods. Such methods are associated with several challenges such as lack of spatial resolution, efficiency, or sample-sparing attributes. Recent advances in technology, design, instrumentation, and software have led to the emergence of newer techniques for non-invasive characterization of physical-mechanical properties of tablets. These techniques include near infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray microtomography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging, terahertz pulsed imaging, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, and various acoustic-and thermal-based techniques. Such state-of-the-art techniques are currently applied at various stages of development and manufacturing of tablets at industrial scale. Each technique has specific advantages or challenges with respect to operational efficiency and cost, compared to traditional analytical methods. Currently, most of these techniques are used as secondary analytical tools to support the traditional methods in characterizing or monitoring tablet quality attributes. Therefore, further development in the instrumentation and software, and studies on the applications are necessary for their adoption in routine analysis and monitoring of tablet physical-mechanical properties.

QUANTITATIVE-ANALYSIS; ENERGETIC MATERIALS; EMISSIONS; LIBS; WAVE

This is the first report of a simultaneous ultraviolet/visible/NIR and longwave infrared laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (UVN + LWIR LIBS) measurement. In our attempt to study the feasibility of combining the newly developed rapid LWIR LIBS linear array detection system to existing rapid analytical techniques for a wide range of chemical analysis applications, two different solid pharmaceutical tablets, Tylenol arthritis pain and Bufferin, were studied using both a recently designed simultaneous UVN + LWIR LIBS detection system and a fast AOTF NIR (1200 to 2200 nm) spectrometer. Every simultaneous UVN + LWIR LIBS emission spectrum in this work was initiated by one single laser pulse-induced micro-plasma in the ambient air atmosphere. Distinct atomic and molecular LIBS emission signatures of the target compounds measured simultaneously in UVN (200 to 1100 nm) and LWIR (5.6 to 10 mu m) spectral regions are readily detected and identified without the need to employ complex data processing. In depth profiling studies of these two pharmaceutical tablets without any sample preparation, one can easily monitor the transition of the dominant LWIR emission signatures from coating ingredients gradually to the pharmaceutical ingredients underneath the coating. The observed LWIR LIBS emission signatures provide complementary molecular information to the UVN LIBS signatures, thus adding robustness to identification procedures. LIBS techniques are more surface specific while NIR spectroscopy has the capability to probe more bulk materials with its greater penetration depth. Both UVN + LWIR LIBS and NIR absorption spectroscopyhave shown the capabilities of acquiring useful target analyte spectral signatures in comparable short time scales. The addition of a rapid LWIR spectroscopic probe to these widely used optical analytical methods, such as NIR spectroscopy and UVN LIBS, may greatly enhance the capability and accuracy of the combined system for a comprehensive analysis. (C) 2017 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement

laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy; plasma modeling; calibration-free approach; quality control of drugs; multivitamin tablet;RELATIVE OSCILLATOR-STRENGTHS; PRECISION-MEASUREMENT; TRACE-ELEMENTS; TRANSITIONS; ARGON

The feasibility of the compositional analysis of drugs by calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was investigated using multivitamin tablets as a sample material. The plasma was produced by a frequency-quadrupled Nd: YAG laser delivering UV pulses with a duration of 5 ns and an energy of 12 mJ, operated at a repetition rate of 10 Hz. The relative fractions of the elements composing the multivitamin drug were determined by comparing the emission spectrum of the laser-produced plume with the spectral radiance computed for a plasma in a local thermodynamic equilibrium. Fair agreement of the measured fractions with those given by the manufacturer was observed for all elements mentioned in the leaflet of the drug. Additional elements such as Ca, Na, Sr, Al, Li, K, and Si were detected and quantified. The present investigations demonstrate that laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy is a viable technique for the quality control of drugs.

analysis; crushing strength; friability; hardness; LIBS; magnesium stearate; spectroscopy; surface; tablet; tartaric acid;INDUCED BREAKDOWN SPECTROSCOPY; MAGNESIUM STEARATE; QUANTITATIVE-ANALYSIS; COMPRESSION

Surface erosion of uncoated tablets results in processing problems such as dusting and defects during coating and is governed by the strength of particle bonding on tablet surface. In this study, the correlation between dusting tendency of tablets in a coating pan with friability and laser ablation surface hardness was assessed using tablets containing different concentrations of magnesium stearate and tartaric acid. Surface erosion propensity of different batches was evaluated by assessing their dusting tendency in the coating pan. In addition, all tablets were analyzed for crushing strength, friability, modified friability test using baffles in the friability apparatus, and weight loss after laser ablation. Tablets with similar crushing strength showed differences in their surface erosion and dusting tendency when rotated in a coating pan. These differences did not correlate well with tablet crushing strength or friability but did show reasonably good correlation with mass loss after laser ablation. These results suggest that tablet surface mass loss by laser ablation can be used as a minipiloting (small-scale) tool to assess tablet surface properties during early stages of drug product development to assess the risk of potential large-scale manufacturing issues. (C) 2016 American Pharmacists Association (R). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.