Discrimination of ranitidine hydrochloride crystals using X-ray micro-computed tomography for the evaluation of three-dimensional spatial distribution in solid dosage forms.

A non-destructive discrimination method for crystals in solid dosage drug forms was first developed using a combination of Raman spectroscopy and X-ray micro-computed tomography (X-ray CT). Identification of the crystal form of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) at the appropriate pharmaceutical dosage is crucial, as the crystal form is a determinant of the quality and performance of the final formulation. To develop a non-destructive analytical methodology for the discrimination of solid API crystals in a solid dosage form, we utilized a combination of Raman spectroscopy and X-ray CT to differentiate between ranitidine crystal polymorphs (forms 1 and 2) in tablet formulations containing three excipients. The difference in electron density correlated with the true density between ranitidine polymorphs, thereby enabling the discrimination of crystal forms and visualization of their three-dimensional spatial localization inside the tablets through X-ray CT imaging. Furthermore, X-ray CT imaging revealed that the crystal particles were of varying densities, sizes, and shapes within the same batch. These findings suggest that X-ray CT is not only an imaging tool but also a unique method for quantitative physicochemical characterization to study crystal polymorphs and solid dosage forms.