NMR microscopy of hydrating hydrophilic matrix pharmaceutical tablets

NMR microscopy has been used to monitor the formation of the gel layer in hydrating hydrophilic polymer tablets. Such tablets are used in the controlled delivery of drugs, where it has been found that the rate and extent of the swelling of the outer gel layer critically influences the kinetics of drug release. Tablets were hydrated in distilled water at 37 degrees C and then imaged at discrete time intervals using a 500 MHz microscope. The growth of the gel layer was clearly observed in time sequences of radial and axial sections. Axial images showed some interesting dimensional changes, with the gel at the flat surface of the tablet developing a concave shape. This is probably a reflection of the occurrence of uni-axial stress relaxation as hydration proceeds. Diffusion- and T2-weighted images provided evidence that the water in the gel layer is more strongly bound close to the dry core of the tablet than at the more fully hydrated outer surface. In images of tablets containing diclofenac, disruption of the gel layer was shown to occur primarily from the flat surfaces of the tablet, whilst the distribution of particles could be seen in tablets doped with insoluble calcium phosphate.