Nirwan Jorabar Singh, Conway Barbara R, Ghori Muhammad Usman
Department of Pharmacy, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield Huddersfield UK HD1 3DH
RSC Adv. 2019 May 30;9(28):16119-16129. doi: 10.1039/c9ra01434a. eCollection 2019 May 20.
The present study aimed to develop and validate an advanced image stitching algorithm integrated with chemical imaging at the nanometre scale. This was applied to track the swelling, erosion, drug release and changes in surface texture of a swelling-controlled release system. The technique involves the delivery and withdrawal of a liquid droplet from the surface of the tablet alongside capturing multiple images of tablet surface using white light profilometry. The recovered liquid was then subject to chemical analysis for the quantification of drug and HPMC. The multiple images acquired during drug release were stitched together using an algorithm developed to generate a full tablet surface. New methods for swelling analysis (regional point, area and multiple regional analysis techniques) were also successfully developed. The results exhibited the exceptional capability of this technique for providing quantitative information regarding swelling, erosion, drug release and surface topography, hence negating the need for separate investigations. Moreover, it can also be anticipated that this technique may have potential use in other fields where surface dissolution, erosion and swelling have significant impact.
本研究旨在开发并验证一种先进的图像拼接算法，该算法集成了纳米级化学成像技术。此技术应用于追踪溶胀控释系统的溶胀、侵蚀、药物释放及表面纹理变化。该技术包括从片剂表面滴加和抽取液滴，同时使用白光轮廓仪拍摄片剂表面的多张图像。然后对回收的液体进行化学分析，以定量药物和羟丙基甲基纤维素。使用开发的算法将药物释放过程中获取的多张图像拼接在一起，生成完整的片剂表面。还成功开发了新的溶胀分析方法（区域点、面积和多区域分析技术）。结果表明，该技术在提供有关溶胀、侵蚀、药物释放和表面形貌的定量信息方面具有卓越能力，因此无需进行单独研究。此外，可以预期该技术在表面溶解、侵蚀和溶胀具有重大影响的其他领域可能具有潜在用途。
