Those taking the active ingredient omeprazole to treat heartburn often receive the medication in hard capsule form. In this dosage form, the active ingredient is formulated in tiny granules ("micro-pellets") which are administered inside a gelatin capsule. The individual micro-pellets are coated with an enteric coating, so the active ingredient is only released in the intestine. To ensure this function, highly precise testing of the micro-pellet structure is necessary.

Due to its non-destructive analysis capabilities, the X4 POSEIDON imaging platform is ideally suited for pharmaceutical development and quality control. This 3D X-ray microscope is a benchtop instrument that enables non-destructive analysis of both the outer capsule and its contents using a high-resolution 3D dataset. The image shown here was scanned at a voxel size of 3.5 µm in just 26 minutes.

The micro-pellets typically consist of a sugar core surrounded by an active ingredient layer. Additionally, the core is encased in a functional layer that controls the release of the active ingredient. For optimal release, the quality of each layer must be precisely calibrated. The X4 POSEIDON delivers high-resolution 3D images, enabling precise separation and analysis of the individual components. 

The following figure shows the analysis of the coating thickness and the size of the active ingredient cores.