ISTFA 2014 Oral Presentation Acceptance

TeraView are pleased to announce that we have had a the paper 'Non-Destructive Fault Isolation in Advanced IC Packages' accepted for oral presentation at ISTFA 2014!

This years event will be the 40th International Symposium for Testing and Failure Analysis, and will be held in Houston, Texas, November 9-13 2014.

ISTFA is where you’ll find researchers, engineers, technicians and others who work on discrete components, dies, wafer fabrication, packages, board assembly and systems. They’re your customers.

• ISTFA is the only international venue devoted to the semiconductor, electronic sample preparation and imaging markets.
• ISTFA attracts attendees from all major global geographic areas.
• ISTFA offers a comprehensive practical and theoretical technical program that attracts the broadest mix of attendees.
• ISTFA continually expands topic areas to attract new and diverse audiences.
• ISTFA provides two full days of dedicated expo hours – make connections, build relationships, and generate sales.

For more information on ISTFA 2014 please visit: 
http://www2.asminternational.org/content/Events/istfa/index.jsp

Application of terahertz pulsed imaging to analyse film coating characteristics of sustained-release coated pellets

• M. Haaser^a, b, c, 
• Y. Karrout^d, 
• C. Velghe^d, 
• Y. Cuppok^d, 
• K.C. Gordon^e, 
• M. Pepper^c, f, 
• J. Siepmann^d, 
• T. Rades^a, g, , , 
• P.F. Taday^c, 
• C.J. Strachan^a, h

• ^a School of Pharmacy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
• ^b Cavendish Laboratories, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
• ^c TeraView Ltd., Cambridge, United Kingdom
• ^d College of Pharmacy, Université Lille Nord de France, Lille, France
• ^e Department of Chemistry and MacDiarmid Institute, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
• ^f Department of Electronic Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
• ^g Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
• ^h Division of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
• • http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2013.05.039, How to Cite or Link Using DOI

 Abstract

Terahertz pulsed imaging (TPI) was employed to explore its suitability for detecting differences in the film coating thickness and drug layer uniformity of multilayered, sustained-release coated, standard size pellets (approximately 1 mm in diameter). Pellets consisting of a sugar starter core and a metoprolol succinate layer were coated with a Kollicoat^® SR:Kollicoat^® IR polymer blend for different times giving three groups of pellets (batches I, II and III), each with a different coating thickness according to weight gain. Ten pellets from each batch were mapped individually to evaluate the coating thickness and drug layer thickness between batches, between pellets within each batch, and across individual pellets (uniformity). From the terahertz waveform the terahertz electric field peak strength (TEFPS) was used to define a circular area (approximately 0.13 mm²) in the TPI maps, where no signal distortion was found due to pellet curvature in the measurement set-up used. The average coating thicknesses were 46 μm, 71 μm and 114 μm, for batches I, II and III respectively, whilst no drug layer thickness difference between batches was observed. No statistically significant differences in the average coating thickness and drug layer thickness within batches (between pellets) but high thickness variability across individual pellets was observed. These results were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The coating thickness results correlated with the subsequent drug release behaviour. The fastest drug release was obtained from batch I with the lowest coating thickness and the slowest from batch III with the highest coating thickness. In conclusion, TPI is suitable for detailed, non-destructive evaluation of film coating and drug layer thicknesses in multilayered standard size pellets.

...Samples were measured on a TPI imaga 2000 (Teraview Ltd., Cambridge, UK).

You can download the article on ScienceDirect

• 
  

3D-Tablettenprüfung mittels Terahertz

(Terahertz imaging note in German)

23.02.2012

Schichtaufbau und Integrität von Tabletten lassen sich mit THz-Strahlung berührungslos und schnell prüfen. Die Technik ist nun auch als Auftragsanalytik für Pharmaunternehmen verfügbar.

In Ergänzung zu seiner Laboreinrichtung in Cambridge bietet die auf THz-Strahlung spezialisierte britische TeraView Ltd. jetzt auch in Dayton, Ohio, USA, am Institute for the Development and Commercialization of Advanced Sensor Technology, IDCAST, pharmazeutischen Unternehmen Zugang zu einem Echtzeit-Messverfahren für den Schichtaufbau von Tabletten. Das Verfahren erfasst mithilfe gepulster THz-Strahlung (Terahertz pulsed imaging, TPI) von 2 bis 120 cm-1 zerstörungsfrei und direkt in der laufenden Produktion die Varianz der Schichtdicken, Partikelagglomerationen und Dichteschwankungen. Auch Prozesse wie das Eindringen von Wasser oder Luft, Probleme beim Aushärten oder mangelnde Integrität der Schichten können damit lokalisiert werden.
In enger Zusammenarbeit mit den Kunden wird anhand von THz-Messdaten die Entwicklung neuer Produkte oder technischer Fertigungsanlagen begleitet sowie zur Lösung von Qualitätsproblemen beigetragen. Der Service umfasst den Verleih des Messsystems TPI imaga 2000 sowie eine enge Betreuung der Untersuchungen. Damit sparen Kunden die Investition in eigene Prüfanlagen.
Auch aus anderen Anwendungsbereichen erreichen Teraview inzwischen Anfragen zur THz-Analyse, wie etwa in der Dentaltechnik, Lackschichten in der Automobilproduktion oder zur Detektion von Rissen und Schichtablösungen bei Keramiken.

BioPhotonik 1/2012













For more information see
http://www.photonik.de/biopl/98/3/0/228/3d-tablettenpruefung-mittels-terahertz.html

For help with your pharmaceutical problems also see
http://www.teraview.com/services/applications-support/index.html