New release cell for NMR microimaging of tablets: Swelling and erosion of poly(ethylene oxide)

A small release cell, in the form of a rotating disc, has been constructed to fit into the MRI equipment. The present work show that both qualitative and quantitative information of the swelling and erosion behavior of hydrophilic extended release (ER) matrix tablets may be obtained using this release cell and non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies at different time-points during matrix dissolution. The tablet size, core size and the gel layer thickness of ER matrix formulations based on poly(ethylene oxide) have been determined. The dimensional changes as a function of time were found to correspond well to observations made with texture analysis (TA) methodology. Most importantly, the results of the present study show that both the erosion (displacement of the gel–dissolution media interface) and the swelling (decrease of dry tablet core size) proceed with a faster rate in radial than in axial direction using the rotating disk set-up. This behavior was attributed to the higher shear forces experienced in the radial direction. The results also indicate that front synchronization (constant gel layer thickness) is associated with the formation of an almost constant polymer concentration profile through the gel layer at different time-points.