Assessment of the Thickness Variation and Surface Roughness of Aqueous Film Coated Tablets Using a Light-Section Microscope

Abstract

The Light-Section Microscope measures the thickness and surface roughness of transparent film coats without contacting them. It enables the determination of tablet film coat thickness at different regions on a tablet surface and analysis of coat thickness variation. Examination of aqueous film coated tablets using a Light-Section Microscope has shown that the coat application conditions can influence the film density and thickness, film thickness variation and film coat surface roughness. Coat application conditions which give rise to smoother surfaces are shown to produce more dense, thinner coats which may exhibit a more even thickness on smooth substrates but larger variations in film thickness on rough substrates. The potential for film thickness and surface roughness to vary at different positions on the substrate surface has also been demonstrated, with film coats tending to be smoother and thinner at the periphery of tablet faces.