Pharmaceuticals and Food
MicroCT and microXRF have become integral tools used in inspection of pharmaceutical packaging and for developing new drug delivery methods and new food products. Sigray’s PrismaXRM provides 3D rapid non-destructive analysis of pharmaceutical formulations and their packaging and of food products. The AttoMap XRF microscope provides mapping of inorganic materials within a tablet for understanding active ingredient distribution and detection of contaminants. AttoMap can also be used for studying nanoparticle distribution in biological tissue.
MicroCT of Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaceutical Packaging
3D x-ray microscopy (also known as microCT) is growing in recognition as an essential tool for gaining insight into pharmaceutical products. High resolution imaging of pore networks and active ingredients provide understanding of the drug release mechanisms. Feedback on internal structure can accelerate time-to-market during the research and development phase. After the product has been successfully developed, microCT provides nondestructive quality control on packaging quality.
PrismaXRM and ChromaXRM achieve the highest spatial resolutions on the market for 3D pharmaceutical imaging. Furthermore, PrismaXRM can maintain very high resolutions for interior tomographies (zoomed in tomographies without requiring depackaging the sample) to speed up workflows and avoid problems introduced during depackaging. ChromaXRM, which has the highest absorption contrast for challenging samples, is uniquely capable of measurements such as pores and cracks in polymer coatings and pills.
3D view and cross-sections of a Pepcid AC within its packaging
Food Sciences
MicroCT provides feedback on internal microstructure of foods during development of new products and to improve the shelf life of existing products. Because x-rays are highly penetrating and non-destructive, studies using in-situ cells can be conducted to understand morphological changes during food freezing, hydration, and heating. Sigray’s ChromaXRM provides the highest contrast available for understanding phenomena such as moisture and the distribution of oil and air interfaces in pores.
