METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRILLING ORIFICES IN OSMOTIC TABLETS INCORPORATING NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY

• US 20070196487A1
• Filed: 02/15/2007
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ALZA Corporation (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: ALZA Corporation (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Geerke, Johan
• Application Number:
  US11/675,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20070196487A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/473
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0004 Osmotic delivery systems; Sustained release driven by osmosis, thermal energy or gas
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3563 for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/359 using near infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/16 with control means energized in response to activator stimulated by condition sensor

Abstract

The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for the manufacture of osmotic tablets, wherein near-infrared spectroscopy systems are used.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an osmotic tablet handling system for handling osmotic tablets that comprise a drug layer and a push layer;

an osmotic tablet laser drilling system for drilling at least one orifice in a drug layer end of the osmotic tablet;

a near-infrared spectroscopy system; and

a laser drill control system;

wherein the osmotic tablet laser drilling system is coupled to the osmotic tablet handling system and the near-infrared spectroscopy system, and the near-infrared spectroscopy system is coupled to the osmotic tablet handling system and a laser drill control system, and the laser drill control system is coupled to the near-infrared spectroscopy system and the osmotic tablet laser drilling system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drug layer comprises a solid drug layer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drug layer comprises a liquid drug layer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the near-infrared spectroscopy system is configured to detect differences between near-infrared spectroscopic characteristics of the drug layer and the push layer.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the differences between near-infrared spectroscopic characteristics of the drug layer and the push layer comprise different transmittances or absorbances over at least one near-infrared wavelength.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein differences between near-infrared spectroscopic characteristics of the drug layer and the push layer comprise different transmittances or absorbances over more than one near-infrared wavelength.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the osmotic tablets comprise an opaque coating.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the near-infrared spectroscopy system comprises at least one optical module.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein at least one optical module is positioned to detect the near-infrared spectroscopic characteristics of one end of the osmotic tablet, and at least one optical module is positioned to detect the near-infrared spectroscopic characteristics of a different end of the osmotic tablet.

10. A method comprising:

handling an osmotic tablet that comprises a drug layer and a push layer;

detecting differences between near-infrared spectroscopic characteristics of the drug layer and the push layer of the osmotic tablet being handled; and

causing an osmotic tablet laser drilling system to laser drill at least one orifice in a drug layer end of the osmotic tablet, based on the differences detected between near-infrared spectroscopic characteristics of the drug layer and the push layer of the osmotic tablet.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the drug layer comprises a solid drug layer.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the drug layer comprises a liquid drug layer.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the differences between near-infrared spectroscopic characteristics of the drug layer and the push layer comprise different transmittances or absorbances over at least one near-infrared wavelength.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein differences between near-infrared spectroscopic characteristics of the drug layer and the push layer comprise different transmittances or absorbances over more than one near-infrared wavelength.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the osmotic tablet comprises an opaque coating.

16. An apparatus comprising:

means for handling an osmotic tablet that comprises a drug layer and a push layer;

means for detecting differences between near-infrared spectroscopic characteristics of the drug layer and the push layer of the osmotic tablet being handled; and

means for causing an osmotic tablet laser drilling system to laser drill at least one orifice in a drug layer end of the osmotic tablet, based on the differences detected between near-infrared spectroscopic characteristics of the drug layer and the push layer of the osmotic tablet.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the drug layer comprises a solid drug layer.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the drug layer comprises a liquid drug layer.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the differences between near-infrared spectroscopic characteristics of the drug layer and the push layer comprise different transmittances or absorbances over at least one near-infrared wavelength.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein differences between near-infrared spectroscopic characteristics of the drug layer and the push layer comprise different transmittances or absorbances over more than one near-infrared wavelength.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the osmotic tablet comprises an opaque coating.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for detecting differences between near-infrared spectroscopic characteristics of the drug layer and the push layer of the osmotic tablet being handled comprises a near-infrared spectroscopy system.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein near-infrared spectroscopy system comprises at least one optical module.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein at least one optical module is positioned to detect the near-infrared spectroscopic characteristics of one end of the osmotic tablet, and at least one optical module is positioned to detect the near-infrared spectroscopic characteristics of a different end of the osmotic tablet.