Quantifying low levels (<0.5% w/w) of warfarin sodium salts in oral solid dose forms using Transmission Raman spectroscopy.

In this feasibility study Transmission Raman spectroscopy (TRS) has been used to build quantitative models for warfarin sodium and warfarin sodium clathrate. The type of warfarin present in manufactured tablets may affect product quality. Models were used to predict warfarin sodium in commercially available tablets at extremely low dosage levels (0.5% w/w). The laboratory made calibration samples used in the modelling varied in amorphous sodium, crystalline clathrate warfarin forms, excipients and dye. This application was highly challenging due to the low level of API and high level of a Raman-active colourant which varied significantly between production batches. A photon recycling optic, known as a Beam Enhancer, was utilised to improve the signal to noise of the Raman spectra to attain a low limit of quantification of 0.19% w/w.

Rapid quantification of low level polymorph content in a solid dose form using transmission Raman spectroscopy.

This proof of concept study demonstrates the application of transmission Raman spectroscopy (TRS) to the non-invasive and non-destructive quantification of low levels (0.62-1.32% w/w) of an active pharmaceutical ingredient's polymorphic forms in a pharmaceutical formulation. Partial least squares calibration models were validated with independent validation samples resulting in prediction RMSEP values of 0.03-0.05% w/w and a limit of detection of 0.1-0.2% w/w. The study further demonstrates the ability of TRS to quantify all tablet constituents in one single measurement. By analysis of degraded stability samples, sole transformation between polymorphic forms was observed while excipient levels remained constant. Additionally, a beam enhancer device was used to enhance laser coupling to the sample, which allowed comparable prediction performance at 60 times faster rates (0.2s) than in standard mode.

Development of Transmission Raman Spectroscopy towards the in line, high throughput and non-destructive quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical solid oral dose.

Transmission Raman spectroscopy (TRS) is a recently introduced analytical technique to pharmaceutical analysis permitting volumetric sampling by non-destructive means. Here we demonstrate experimentally, for the first time, the enhanced speed of quantification of pharmaceutical tablets by an order of magnitude compared with conventional TRS. This is achieved using an enhancing element, "photon diode", avoiding the loss of laser photons at laser coupling interface. The proof-of-concept experiments were performed on a complex mixture consisting of 5 components (3 APIs and 2 excipients) with nominal concentrations ranging between 0.4 and 89%. Acquisition times as short as 0.01 s were reached with satisfactory quantification accuracy for all the sample components. Results suggest that even faster sampling speeds would be achievable for components with stronger Raman scattering cross sections or with higher laser powers. This major improvement in speed of volumetric analysis enables high throughput deployment of TRS for in line quality control applications within the batch or continuous manufacturing process and facilitating non-destructive analysis of large fractions.

Monitoring of an esterification reaction by on-line direct liquid sampling mass spectrometry and in-line mid infrared spectrometry with an attenuated total reflectance probe.

A specially designed thermal vaporiser was used with a process mass spectrometer designed for gas analysis to monitor the esterification of butan-1-ol and acetic anhydride. The reaction was conducted at two scales: in a 150 mL flask and a 1L jacketed batch reactor, with liquid delivery flow rates to the vaporiser of 0.1 and 1.0 mLmin(-1), respectively. Mass spectrometry measurements were made at selected ion masses, and classical least squares multivariate linear regression was used to produce concentration profiles for the reactants, products and catalyst. The extent of reaction was obtained from the butyl acetate profile and found to be 83% and 76% at 40°C and 20°C, respectively, at the 1L scale. Reactions in the 1L reactor were also monitored by in-line mid-infrared (MIR) spectrometry; off-line gas chromatography (GC) was used as a reference technique when building partial least squares (PLS) multivariate calibration models for prediction of butyl acetate concentrations from the MIR spectra. In validation experiments, good agreement was achieved between the concentration of butyl acetate obtained from in-line MIR spectra and off-line GC. In the initial few minutes of the reaction the profiles for butyl acetate derived from on-line direct liquid sampling mass spectrometry (DLSMS) differed from those of in-line MIR spectrometry owing to the 2 min transfer time between the reactor and mass spectrometer. As the reaction proceeded, however, the difference between the concentration profiles became less noticeable. DLSMS had advantages over in-line MIR spectrometry as it was easier to generate concentration profiles for all the components in the reaction. Also, it was possible to detect the presence of a simulated impurity of ethanol (at levels of 2.6 and 9.1% mol/mol) in butan-1-ol, and the resulting production of ethyl acetate, by DLSMS, but not by in-line MIR spectrometry.