New laser technique promises better process control in the pharmaceutical industry

18 Feb 2008 04:17 PM Scientists at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, UK have developed an effective laser based method for the characterisation of the bulk chemical content of pharmaceutical capsules - without opening the capsules!

In close collaboration with teams from Pfizer Ltd, a leading pharmaceutical company, the researchers in STFC’s Lasers for Science Facility succeeded in quantifying the presence of the active pharmaceutical ingredient in production line relevant capsules to a relative error of 1%. Other established non-invasive methods were unable to reach the same level of accuracy with the same sample.

The technique holds great potential for a range of process control applications in the pharmaceutical industry. The results of the collaborative study are reported in the Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis.

The development stems from research into a novel Raman spectroscopy method, Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy, which is under development at STFC for a wide range of applications including the detection of explosives in non-metallic containers, the detection of counterfeit drugs through opaque packaging and the non-invasive diagnosis of bone disease and cancer. The concepts, which are relatively simple to implement, were developed through experiments involving STFC’s large scale facilities which provided crucial insight into photon transport processes.

The development is being carried out in close collaboration with STFC's knowledge technology transfer arm CLIK and the new techniques are planned for commercialisation through STFC’s spin-out company LiteThru Ltd.

"This work is a great example of how leading edge science performed on national scale facilities can be directly translated into solutions for key industrial problems. Direct collaboration between Pfizer and STFC scientists is a model for the future, allowing leading-edge techniques to be appropriately targeted to the benefit of the UK economy", says Professor Mike Dunne, Director of the Central Laser Facility of which the Lasers for Science Facility is an integral part.

Professor Pavel Matousek, the project leader commented, “I am delighted that the vibrant environment at STFC enables us to engage in world-leading science and to make effective use of new ideas and discoveries for the direct benefit of our society.”

For more information please contact:
Natalie Bealing, Science and Technology Facilities Council Press Office n.d.bealing@stfc.ac.uk 01235 445484

Professor Pavel Matousek, Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory p.matousek@rl.ac.uk 01235 445377

Notes for editors

The work stems from earlier research efforts of a wider collaborative team including the laser team at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, the University of Michigan, ICI PLC, the Royal Veterinary College, University College London and the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital focused on non-invasive spectroscopy of powders and the diagnosis of bone disease and cancer.

The reported work was supported financially from the Proof-of-Concept Fund by CLIK Knowledge Transfer (STFC's technology transfer arm), STFC, NESTA, the Rainbow Seed Fund and EPSRC.

The reported research paper:
C. Eliasson, N.A. Macleod, L. Jayes, F.C. Clarke, S. Hammond, M.R. Smith, P. Matousek, “Non-Invasive Quantitative Assessment of the Content of Pharmaceutical Capsules using Transmission Raman Spectroscopy”, J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal., in press, 2008.

Background on the transmission Raman and SORS techniques: http://www.clf.rl.ac.uk/Facilities/LSF/SORS/home.htm

Related past press releases:
http://www.scitech.ac.uk/PMC/PRel/Arch/CCLRC/2006/20060413.aspx

http://www.scitech.ac.uk/PMC/PRel/Arch/CCLRC/2007/20070129.aspx

http://www.scitech.ac.uk/PMC/PRel/STFC/SeeInv.aspx

The Central Laser Facility and the Lasers for Science Facility
The Central Laser Facility at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory is one of the world's leading laser facilities providing scientists from universities in the UK and Europe with an unparalleled range of state-of-the-art laser technology. www.clf.rl.ac.uk

The Lasers for Science Facility has a strong record in designing next generation capability for UK academia and then developing this for wider societal exploitation. Recent examples of this type of developmental effort include applications to detect counterfeit drugs, non-invasive diagnosis of various diseases and cancerous lesions, and applications in airport security. See http://www.clf.rl.ac.uk/Facilities/LSF/SORS/home.htm and http://www.clf.rl.ac.uk/Facilities/LSF/ULTRA/index.htm for further details.

LiteThru Ltd

LiteThru Ltd is a spin-out from the STFC's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. LiteThru has exclusive access to several technologies for non-invasive analysis using Raman spectroscopy. LiteThru is developing solutions for several markets, including pharmaceutical production monitoring, anti-counterfeiting and security measures and medical diagnostics. http://www.litethru.com/ For more information on LiteThru, please contact Darren Andrews at darren.andrews@litethru.com or on +44 (0)1925 603747.

Science and Technology Facilities Council The Science and Technology Facilities Council ensures the UK retains its leading place on the world stage by delivering world class science; accessing and hosting international facilities; developing innovative technologies; and increasing the socio-economic impact of its research through effective knowledge exchange partnerships.
The Council has a broad science portfolio including Astronomy, Particle Physics, Particle Astrophysics, Nuclear Physics, Space Science, Synchrotron Radiation, Neutron Sources and High Power Lasers. In addition the Council manages and operates three internationally renowned laboratories:

• The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire
• The Daresbury Laboratory, Cheshire
• The UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Edinburgh

The Council gives researchers access to world class facilities and funds the UK membership of international bodies such as the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), the Institute Laue Langevin (ILL), European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the European organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) and the European Space Agency (ESA). It also contributes money for the UK telescopes overseas on La Palma, Hawaii, Australia and in Chile, and the MERLIN/VLBI National Facility, which includes the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory.

The Council distributes public money from the Government to support scientific research. Between 2007 and 2008 we will invest £678 million.