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Visualizing and Quantifying Pharmaceutical Compounds within Skin using Coherent Raman Scattering Imaging
Published on: November 24, 2021
Visualization and Non-Destructive Quantification of Inkjet-Printed Pharmaceuticals on Different Substrates Using
Magnus Edinger1, Daniel Bar-Shalom1, Jukka Rantanen1
1Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the applicability of Raman spectroscopy for visualization and quantification of inkjet-printed pharmaceuticals.
Methods:
Haloperidol was used as a model active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), and a printable ink base containing lactic acid and ethanol was developed. Inkjet printing technology was used to apply haloperidol ink onto three different substrates. Custom-made inorganic compacts and dry foam, as well as marketed paracetamol tablets were used as the substrates.
Results:
Therapeutic personalized doses were printed by using one to ten printing rounds on the substrates. The haloperidol content in the finished dosage forms were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The distribution of the haloperidol on the dosage forms were visualized using Raman chemical imaging combined with principal components analysis (PCA). Raman spectroscopy combined with modeling by partial least squares (PLS) regression was used for establishment of a quantitative model of the haloperidol content in the printed dosage forms. A good prediction of the haloperidol content was achieved for the inorganic compacts, while a slightly poorer prediction was observed for the paracetamol tablets. It was not possible to quantify haloperidol on the dry foam due to the low and varying density of the substrate.
Conclusions:
Raman spectroscopy is a useful tool for visualization and quality control of inkjet printed personalized medicine.

