Quality Assurance for 3D Printing

InfraTrac’s near-infrared spectroscopy innovation can ensure that 3D printed drug doses adhere to pharmaceutical quality standards. We have successfully demonstrated that near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic testing and analysis is capable of distinguishing with high confidence those 3DP doses containing the expected concentrations of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and excipient materials from 3D printed tablets (or “printlets”) that do not conform to the standard formulation. 

This capability can provide hospital pharmacies and other point-of-care facilities with a mechanism to protect patients by preventing the inadvertent administration of 3DP doses containing either too much or too little of the prescribed medication. Potential benefits of the quality testing approach validated by the project include that it is non-destructive; rapid to perform; accurate; easy-to-interpret, and inexpensive to implement without the need for extensive retooling or operator training.