My laboratory at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy has fully equipped modern research laboratories for analytical, preformulation, formulation research; suites for non-clinical manufacturing research and development and some GMP manufacturing capabilities.

All of the above mentioned facilities and other facilities on campus are readily available for all personnel working on a project.

Preformulation:

  • Thermal analysis:
    • DSC and MDSC
  • Solubility:
    • Viscosity measurement
    • pH and ion selective techniques
    • Osmolarity
  • Moisture content:
    • Carl Fisher titration
    • Loss on drying (LOD)
  • Moisture adsorption isotherm determination

Mechanical Characterization:

  • Instron
  • Flow Characterization
  • Annular shear cell
    • Angle of repose
    • Carr index
    • Minimum orifice diameter

Density Characterization:

  • Bulk density
  • Tapped density
  • True density

Capsule Filling Machines:

  • Zansi LZ64
  • Harro Hofliger-KFM/3 Model

Dry Granulation:

  • Roller Compactor Model Model P120V Alexanderwerk
  • Powder Characterization
  • Particle size:
    • Laser diffraction (dynamic and static)
    • Microscopy
    • SEM
    • Sieve analysis
  • Surface area
  • Porosity measurement

USP & Non-USP Test Capabilities:

  • Foss NIR Spectrophotometer RCA 6500
  • Weight variation
  • Content variation
  • Tablet disintegration
  • Tablet dissolution for IR and CR
  • Tablet hardness

Tableting:

  • Stoke’s B2 Rotary Tablet Press (16 stations)
    • Instrumented compression and ejection
  • Colton Single Station Tablet
    • Fully Instrumented upper and lower force and displacement
  • Manesty Beta Press
    • High speed rotary tablet press (16 stations)
  • Tableting Test capabilities
  • Heckel analysis
  • Elasticity and other standard tests
  • B2 Stokes Tablet Press
  • Manesty Betapress

Coating:

  • Niro-Aeromatic MP-1 Fluid Bed Processor
  • Hi-Coater HT-30
    • For small clinical lots – ca 1 kg capacity
  • Freund Model HCT-30 Hi-Coater

Analytical:

  • UV/Vis Spectrophotometer
  • HPLC
  • HPLC-MS
  • GC
  • GC-MS

Miscellaneous Equipment:

  • Environmental chambers for stability
    • Temperature and humidity
  • Granulation equipment: high shear, low shear and fluid bed
  • Vacuum drying
  • Milling: hammer and fluid energy

Blending Equipment:

  • Niro-Fielder GP-1 (high shear granulator)
  • 5 cu ft PK V-Blender
  • 16qt V-Blender
  • 8qt V-Blender
  • Milling Equipment:
    • Quadro Comil 197S (development / clinical scale)

Dissolution System:

  • (1) SR8 Plus Dissolution Test Station (2) with VK8000 autosampler
  • Malvern Mastersizer
  • Extrusion Spheronization