Non-destructive Porosity Testing Method for Pharmaceutical Tablets Based on Terahertz Spectroscopy

Together with TeraView ( Huxley-Bertram ( GSK ( and the University of Strathclyde ( we have developed a method to rapidly measure the porosity of of pharmaceutical tablets that is non-destructive and non-invasive. The method is capable of determining the total porosity of each tablet by a simple transmission measurement in a fraction of a second. We have demonstrated that the porosity measurement directly correlates to tablet hardness, disintegration and dissolution for a range of immediate release tablets of different sizes, shapes and formulations.

The measurement does not require any sample preparation and is suitable for integration into the tablet manufacturing process in the future. For the time being we are developing an at-line porosity instrument.

To find out more please visit us at AAPS 2019 in San Antonio, TX on Monday, 4 November, Poster M1330-06-40:

For more details of the method please see the following papers:
D. Markl, J. Sauerwein, D.J. Goodwin, S. van den Ban and J.A. Zeitler, Non-destructive determination of disintegration time and dissolution in immediate release tablets by terahertz transmission measurements, Pharmaceutical Research, 34, 1012-1022, (2017).

P. Bawuah, A. Mendia, P. Silfsten, P. Pääkkönen, T. Ervasti, J. Ketolainen, J.A. Zeitler, and K.-E. Peiponen, Detection of porosity of pharmaceutical compacts by terahertz radiation transmission and light reflection measurement techniques, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 465, 70-75 (2014).

This research was funded by Innovate UK ( project reference 104196.

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