Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Applicability of X-ray microscopy to non-contact tablet mass estimation

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The pharmaceutical tablet manufacturing process requires a tablet mass measuring step to ensure that all tablets have the prescribed dosage. The digital scales commonly used for that purpose require tens of seconds to stabilize, resulting in a substantial slow-down of the manufacturing process. The alternative visual approaches are fallible because of the potential existence of voids and cracks in the tablets. This paper uses an X-ray microscopy for mass measurement. Albeit with some constraints concerning tablet size and constituents, the approach can measure a tablet’s mass in under one second, and may constitute, in the future, a viable and practical approach.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Aitken M, Kleinrock M, Nass D (2016) Outlook for global medicines through 2021: balancing cost and value. QuintilesIMS Institute, New Jersey

  2. Riaz AR, Farooq MU, Syed AM (2015) Tablet inspection and sorting machine. Int J Comput Appl 126(9):1–7

    Google Scholar 

  3. Stephens JD, Kowalczyk BR, Hancock BC, Kaul G, Cetinkaya C (2013) Ultrasonic real-time in-die monitoring of the tablet compaction process—a proof of concept study. Int J Pharm 442(1):20–26

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Možina M, Tomaževič D, Pernuš F, Likar B (2013) Automated visual inspection of imprint quality of pharmaceutical tablets. Mach Vis Appl 24(1):63–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Možina M, Tomaževič D, Pernuš F, Likar B (2011) Real-time image segmentation for visual inspection of pharmaceutical tablets. Mach Vis Appl 22(1):145–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Morimoto M, Fujii K (2011) A visual inspection system for drug tablets. In: 2011 IEEE international conference on systems, man, and cybernetics (SMC), October 9–12, Anchorage, AK, pp 1106–1110

  7. Ito S, Nakamura R, Tanaka H, Mizuno Y, Tabaru M, Nakamura K (2015) Non-contact mass measurement of droplet based on free oscillation under ultrasonic levitation. In: 2015 IEEE international ultrasonics symposium (IUS), October 21–24, Taipei, Taiwan, pp 1–4

  8. Bawuah P, Silfsten P, Ervasti T, Ketolainen J, Zeitler JA, Peiponen KE (2014) Non-contact weight measurement of flat-faced pharmaceutical tablets using terahertz transmission pulse delay measurements. Int J Pharm 476(1):16–22

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Kim J, Sun GM, Baek HN, Hoang SM, Park SA (2017) Non-contact micro mass evaluation method using an X-ray microscope. Kerntech 82(3):352–354

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (NRF-2012M2A2A6004263).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), 111, Daedeok-Daero, 989 Beon-Gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Republic of Korea

    Jiseok Kim

  2. Department of Nuclear Engineering, Hanyang University, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea

    Jiseok Kim, Chewook Yim & Yongkyun Kim

Authors
  1. Jiseok Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chewook Yim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yongkyun Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jiseok Kim.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kim, J., Yim, C. & Kim, Y. Applicability of X-ray microscopy to non-contact tablet mass estimation. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 316, 1033–1038 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-5867-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-5867-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation