Broadband Acoustic Resonance Dissolution Spectroscopy (BARDS): A Novel Approach To Investigate the Wettability of Pharmaceutical Powder Blends

Abstract

The ability of broadband acoustic resonance dissolution spectroscopy (BARDS) to assess the wettability of powder blends is investigated. BARDS is a novel analytical technology developed on the basis of the change in acoustic phenomena observed when material is added into a solvent under resonance. Addition of solid material to the solvent results in the introduction of gas (air) into the solvent, changing the compressibility of the solvent system, and reducing the velocity of sound in the solvent. As a material is wetted and dissolved, the gas is released from the solvent and resonance frequency is altered. The main purpose of this work is to demonstrate the ability of BARDS to assess differences in the wetting behavior of tablet excipients (microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and magnesium stearate (MgSt)) and a model drug (metoclopramide hydrochloride) as single component powders and multicomponent powder blends. BARDS acoustic responses showed a prolonged release of gas for the powdered blends with lubricant compared to unlubricated blends. As the elimination of gas from the solvent was assumed to follow first order elimination kinetics, a compressible gas elimination rate constant was calculated from the log plots of the gas volume profiles. The gas elimination rate constant was used as a parameter to compare the release of gas from the powder introduced to the solvent and hence the powder wetting behavior. A lower gas elimination rate constant was measured for lubricated blends compared to nonlubricated blends, suggesting the prolonged hydration of lubricated blends. Standard wetting techniques such as contact angle measurements and wetting time analysis were also used to analyze the blends and confirmed differences in wetting behavior determined by BARDS. The study results demonstrate the capability of BARDS as a rapid, analytical tool to determine the wetting behavior of the pharmaceutical powder blends and the potential of BARDS as a process analytical technology (PAT) tool.

Application of broadband acoustic resonance dissolution spectroscopy (BARDS) to the gas release behaviour during rehydration of milk protein isolate agglomerates

“…The higher protein content powders showed slower gas release, which is indicative of slower rehydration behaviour. (Peddapatla et al, 2017) applied BARDS to investigate the wettability of pharmaceutical blends. Very poor wetting blends did not disperse into water and thus there was no gas release, while good wetting blends…”

“…The time (t M ) at which the maximum gas volume (or minimum frequency) occurs is indicative of the rehydration ability of the powder, with shorter times being indicative of faster or better rehydration ability (Peddapatla et al, 2017). Fig.…”

Sounding out falsified medicines from genuine medicines using Broadband Acoustic Resonance Dissolution Spectroscopy (BARDS)

“…Instead, it tracks unique disintegration and dissolution processes of the whole tablet or powder. The BARDS response is dependent on several factors including the excipients, the blend ratio, the compression force used to make the tablets and even the speed at which the blend is conveyed during processing 32 . These parameters contribute to the quality attributes of a tablet or lack thereof.…”

“…Figure 3 B indicates slow disintegration and return to steady state of the amoxicillin-clavulanic acid falsified tablets. This may be due to lack of a disintegrant and/or the excessive use of hydrophobic substances such as magnesium stearate in the powder blend which delays the return to steady state by reducing the rate of water diffusion (wetting) 32 . The same can be said for the profile of the genuine tablet in Fig.…”

Radiation and Scattering

“…The sound speed reduction due to the introduction of bubbles in a solvent has developed into a technique for the analysis of transient dissolution processes for chemical compounds that is known as Broadband Acoustic Resonance Dissolution Spectroscopy (BARDS) [43]. Various extensions of this approach have been developed to study other effects like wettability of pharmaceutical powers [44].…”