Abstract
Transparent polymer delivery devices often contain a solid lubricant coating on a stronger bulk polymer. The distribution of lubricant coating must be monitored for device optimisation appraisals and to ensure consistency during mass production. However, coating evaluation is difficult to perform as surfaces are often concealed and/or disjointed. Dye stain analysis, which is destructive and time-consuming, is the current industry standard. We present a prototype IR transmission microscope to evaluate micron-level coating coverage of polyurethane and/or polyvinylpyrrolidone on a poly(propylene)-based delivery device. The device has a common industrial configuration, containing a duct and bevel. Inferred absorption of the coating was used to identify coating coverage and a multivariate analysis was used to remove the effects of absorption and scattering by the bulk. Coverage on concealed and disjointed surfaces was imaged and evaluated from a single camera viewpoint and ≈50 m defects were detectable. The industrial applicability of the prototype was demonstrated using comparisons with dye stain analysis by estimating water dilution of coating and identifying artifacts in coating, which may indicate machine malfunction. The sensitivity and speed of the IR technique makes it a favourable alternative to the current industry standard.
Highlights
Transparent polymer-based delivery devices often contain a solid lubricant coating of a substance such as polyethylene glycol (PEG), poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHM), poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) (PSIT), or poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), on a stronger bulk polymer material, such as such as poly(ethylene) (PE), poly(carbonate) (PC), or poly(propylene)(PP) [1,2]
The full version of the code can be found in the Supplementary Material, along with sample ≈3735 cm −1 transmission images, Figure S1, of before and after cropping, and of contour outlines
We demonstrate for the ≈2 mm sized delivery device presented that the lower ≈50 μm resolution is not needed to create a test equivalent to the dye stain test, which has superior resolution
Summary
Transparent polymer-based delivery devices often contain a solid lubricant coating of a substance such as polyethylene glycol (PEG), poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHM), poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) (PSIT), or poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), on a stronger bulk polymer material, such as such as poly(ethylene) (PE), poly(carbonate) (PC), or poly(propylene)(PP) [1,2]. Transparent polymer-based delivery devices often contain a solid lubricant coating of a substance such as polyethylene glycol (PEG), poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHM), poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) (PSIT), or poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), on a stronger bulk polymer material, such as such as poly(ethylene) (PE), poly(carbonate) (PC), or poly(propylene). The coating may have antimicrobial, water-repellent, or adhesive functions [1,2]. The distribution of lubricant, by spraying, dipping, brushing, and/or chemical/physical vapor deposition [3,4], must be monitored during device optimisation appraisals and to ensure consistency during mass production. PP, the bulk material of the delivery device presented, is the second most widely produced commodity polymer plastic. Its mechanical stability, transparency, bio-compatibility, functionality, durability, and safety make it a popular component [6]
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