Thomas Processing has always seen adaptability and innovation as a priority. When we saw a growing need for film coating of mini-tablets, we found a way to modify our systems and still deliver the same quality of service.
Mini-Tablet Coating Presented a Challenge and We Were Ready
Mini-tablets are a relatively new trend in the pharmaceutical tablet coating industry when you compare them to the typical tablets made for consumption. The mini-tablets may be coated for insertion in a two-piece gelatin capsule for controlled, delayed, or sustained release. Mini-tablets, as you might imagine, are very small tablets. Their size presented a challenge for tablet coating systems designed for the larger tablets.
Want to learn more about our Accela-Cota tablet coating system? Dig a little deeper and take a closer look at our modern developments.
A fundamental part of the Accela-Cota system is the series of holes or perforations in the tablet coating drum. These perforations allow air to flow through the drum and dry the film coating on the tablets during the coating process. They’re an essential part of the Accela-Cota system design.
How Did We Adapt Our Tablet Coating Systems for Mini-Tablet Coaters?
The standard perforation in an Accela-Cota drum is 3mm. Without modifications, the mini-tablets could fall through the perforations or become stuck inside the perforations. To prevent this, a mesh screen can be bonded to the interior of the drum. Mesh screens are available in multiple sizes, and our design ensures the mesh screen does not adversely impact the volume of air that is drawn through the tablet bed. This simple modification transforms our high-performance tablet coaters into high-performance mini-tablet coaters.
Why Does the Film Coating for Tablets or Mini-Tablets Matter?
The film coating materials on tablets are not just there to help the medication survive the shipping and shelving experience intact. There are multiple reasons for the different types of tablet or mini-tablet coating.
Masking Poor Flavor
There are some medications that come with a poor taste or odor caused by their ingredients. Film-coated mini-tablets make the dose more palatable to taste and comfortable to swallow for the end user.
Extended Release
Depending on the medication and the intended treatment plan, the plan for drug delivery might require a controlled release. This delayed form of drug release is one of the main advantages of tablet film coating.
Multiple Incorporation
There are times when medications must be combined. This is often true for mini-tablets. Tablet coating makes it simple to incorporate multiple types of drugs into one capsule without them releasing their compounds until the intended time.
Gastric Acid Defense
Those outside the field of pharmaceutical research might wonder how you prevent every tablet or medication from being dissolved by the acid in your stomach. The answer is mini-tablet coatings or films. They can protect the medication from the acidic environment inside the intestines for a predictable amount of time.
Thomas Processing Is Committed to Creating the Solutions You Need
Adapting to mini-tablets isn’t the first time we’ve had to enhance our systems. Thomas Processing’s past is full of moments where we saw a need or a growing trend and we made the necessary adjustments to keep our services at their best for the customer. For more than 60 years, the people at Thomas Processing have worked to stay on the frontlines of tablet coating with innovation and personal attention to the needs of our customers.
Want to see the tablet coating support services we offer? Take a closer look at everything we can provide beyond our tablet coating systems.
If your facility has an application that requires coating mini-tablets, you can still explore our product line and find out what options are available at Thomas Processing. The bonded mesh screens are available for the production size drums used in the Flex 500 and Flex 200. We also have the option for bonded and removable mesh screens in the smaller drums, like the ones used in the Flex 100 and Flex 05 R&D tablet coater. To learn more about our passion for innovation and all the ways we can adapt to your needs, contact Thomas Processing today.
