Through-vial impedance spectroscopy of critical events during the freezing stage of the lyophilization cycle: The example of the impact of sucrose on the crystallization of mannitol

•TVIS measures the composite impedance at the glass wall-solution interface.•Solute crystallization is manifested with secondary changes in fpeak and R.•Inclusion of non-crystallizing solute will inhibit the crystallization on mannitol.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the application of through-vial impedance spectroscopy in the measurement of eutectic crystallization during the freezing stage of the lyophilisation cycle.Impedance measurements of various sugar solutions (mannitol 5%, 10% and 15% w/v, sucrose 5% w/v and mannitol 5% w/v, and sucrose 5% w/v solutions) were taken during a freeze–thaw cycle, over a frequency range 10–106 Hz with a scan interval of 1.5 min, using measurement vials with externally attached electrodes connected to a high resolution impedance analyzer.Estimates for the electrical resistance of the mannitol solutions record the exothermic crystallization of mannitol at a temperature of −24 °C during the temperature ramp down stage of the freezing cycle, which is in close agreement with the off-line DSC measurement of −22 °C. The freezing profile of a 5% mannitol solution with 5% sucrose (a component that does not crystallize in the frozen solution) demonstrated the inhibition of mannitol crystallization (with the implication that the product will then require sub-Tg′ freezing and drying).The work suggests a role for through-vial impedance spectroscopy in the concurrent development of the product formulation and freeze drying cycle without the uncertainty introduced when using off-line date to define the critical process parameters.

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