Chemical imaging specialists at Malvern Instruments are demonstrating how data derived from reverse engineering of pharmaceutical tablets can aid the fight against counterfeit drugs.
Using the Synirgi near-infrared chemical-imaging (NIRCI) system, they have been able to collect data detailed enough to characterise the formulation and processes used to create individual dosages.
Results can be compared to the original manufacturer specifications and a database of known counterfeits.
An application note, available from the Malvern website and entitled: 'NIR chemical imaging for tablet deconstruction - a case study for solid dosage forms', outlines the methodology required to produce this level of information.
Synirgi combines the species-identification capabilities of conventional near-infrared spectroscopy with digital imaging.
Able to non-destructively analyse powders, granules and tablets of all shapes and sizes, Synirgi gives results in minutes.
As well as having clear application in counterfeit detection and as a tool for quality by design, it also takes the guesswork out of formulation development, speeds up QA/QC and aids rapid troubleshooting in manufacturing.
No sample preparation is needed, data-acquisition speeds are high and, by simply changing an objective, the system can be quickly configured for microscopic or macroscopic imaging.
