Improve your product's performance with accurate characterisation

We want to make sure your product reaches its full potential and functionality. Often standard characterisation protocols are not enough to pinpoint the exact cause of formulation problems or effects of different processing, excipients, storage treatments etc.

With our combination of advanced instruments, we offer you a complete and accurate characterisation. We then interpret the result, and based on that we also provide expertise advice and support in your further development and production.

Characterisation of tablets

"The coated tablets lack in strength, and the release is to fast. Why?"

A number of analytical tools can be used to pinpoint these issues.

Dissolution / release

This can be related to incomplete coating. The release rate can be measured at different degrees of detail using:

• USP Release Equipment for overall released amount
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to reveal changes in the tablet structure during release

Coating quality

The structure and composition of the coating film can influence the release rate. The film can be studied in detail by

• Detecting pinholes with SEM
• Surface composition by EDS, XPS, ToF-SIMS 
• Surface structure by profilometry, AFM

Binding of particles

The tablet strength is influenced by the interactions between the particles that build up the tablet.

• The adhesion force, compressibility, and other mechanical properties of particles can be studied on the particle level using AFM (atomic force microscopy) and the colloid probe technique.

Internal structure and location of material

The internal structure and the distribution of materials in the tablet can also influence both tablet strength and release rate.

• SEM can be used for microstructure analysis
• Confocal Raman Microscopy provides information on the distribution of different materials.

Characterisation of liquid formulation

"My drug particle dispersion forms aggregates that settle. Why? Does this effect the release rate?"

This would be related to  the properties of the particles, dispersing agents and continuous phase.

Dispersion stability

Dispersion stability is monitored over time using a Turbiscan instrument, which also gives information regarding the destabilisation mechanisms . Underlying factors are also particle size and ζ-potential.

The continuous phase

The continuous phase also influences the dispersion stability, e.g. through the rheology, or the composition.

Aggregate structure

Aggregate structure is important for deaggregation and release, and can be monitored by microscopy techniques of different degrees of sophistication.