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Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman Scattering CARS Microscopy Visualizes Pharmaceutical Tablets During Dissolution
Published on: July 4, 2014
Combined study of biphasic and zero-order release formulations with dissolution tests and ATR-FTIR spectroscopic
Patrick Wray1, Jing Li1, Ling Qiao Li1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.
Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopic imaging and UV-Vis detection were used to study multi-layer tablet dissolution. This research enhances understanding of drug release mechanisms for improved tablet formulation development.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Analytical Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Multi-layer tablets offer complex drug delivery profiles.
- Understanding dissolution mechanisms is crucial for formulation development.
- Advanced analytical techniques are needed to characterize these complex systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dissolution of biphasic and zero-order release multi-layer tablet formulations.
- To evaluate the utility of attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopic imaging in characterizing tablet dissolution.
- To compare ATR-FTIR data with conventional UV-Vis detection and USP dissolution testing.
Main Methods:
- Utilized bilayer, monolithic, and barrier-layered tablets with model drugs (nicotinamide, buflomedil) and excipients (microcrystalline cellulose, glucose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose).
- Employed attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopic imaging to visualize component distribution during dissolution.
- Integrated UV-Vis detection with an ATR flow-through cell for online monitoring and compared results with USP dissolution apparatus I.
Main Results:
- ATR-FTIR imaging revealed dynamic changes in component distribution during the dissolution of biphasic formulations.
- Drug release from biphasic tablets was influenced by excipient ratios and inter-layer interactions.
- Tablets in the ATR-FTIR flow-through cell showed zero-order release profiles at high flow rates, consistent with barrier-layered formulations in USP apparatus I.
Conclusions:
- ATR-FTIR spectroscopic imaging provides valuable insights into dissolution mechanisms of multi-layer tablets.
- The findings can aid in optimizing multi-layer tablet formulation development.
- Integrating ATR-FTIR with conventional dissolution methods offers a complementary approach for pharmaceutical analysis.
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This process starts with a thin layer, saturated with the drug, forming at the interface between the solid and liquid. The solute then diffuses from this layer into the main solution. The Noyes-Whitney equation suggests that the rate of dissolution relies on the diffusion...