Product category:
Pharmaceutical/medical manufacturing: production equipment
News Release from: Teraview | Subject: Tablet coating thickness measurement
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 31 January 2008
System inspects tablets on the
production line
A proprietary terahertz platform demonstrates real time measurements of tablet coating thickness and other critical quality attributes of solid dosage forms.
TeraView has conducted successful proof of principle for high speed measurements of coating thickness on tablets applicable to on-line tablet inspection The non-contact, non-destructive technique may also be extended to on-line measurement of other key product attributes, such as coating or core density tablets delamination and many other parameters characterising the performance of drugs which TeraView has identified with its products and collaborators
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 7 Mar 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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This capability, said TeraView, opens up the opportunity for deployment of terahertz sensors in rapid, non-destructive tablet inspection to ensure that pharmaceutical products remain within the specifications necessary to ensure therapeutic efficacy and drug performance.
Ultimately, such sensors could also be used in feedback systems to control production parameters (e g, coating spray rates, tablet compression force for single and multiple layer tablets) in real time.
This technique could also support the pharmaceutical industry's future plans to implement continuous process systems in drug manufacture.
When combined with TeraView's existing multiple sensor platforms and strong, proprietary applications know-how, this innovation greatly enhances the Company's intellectual property base in the pharmaceutical area to provide complete solutions to meet customer needs.
TeraView is now actively exploring on-line deployment through prototype development with its existing customer base, and welcomes discussions with other interested parties.
Paddy O'Kelly, chief operating officer of TeraView told manufacturingtalk.com: "This initial demonstration is a natural extension of our terahertz sensors developed for other industries as well as our analytical know-how cultivated in close collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry and the regulators over the past few years.
This is another world first for TeraView".
Dr Don Arnone, chief executive officer of TeraView added: "This study is exciting news for our pharmaceutical customers.
It enables us to provide Terahertz solutions to address their business issues from early stage product development all the way through to assuring product performance during manufacture.
It is also good news for the Company because it has the potential to expand our footprint in the pharmaceutical manufacturing market in the future.
TeraView's proprietary platform uses the terahertz spectrum between light and radio waves and offers the advantage of being non-invasive and non-destructive.
Past studies have demonstrated how terahertz uniquely provides 3D and chemical information on the contents of tablets and capsules normally invisible to conventional techniques.
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