Influence of fine lactose and magnesium stearate on low dose dry powder inhaler formulations.

The behaviour of dry powder blends for inhalation, depending on the amount of fine lactose particles smaller than 10microm and the presence of magnesium stearate (MgSt), was studied in this work. A laser light diffraction method was developed to determine accurately size and volume fraction of these fine lactose particles in coarse carrier lactose (x(50) approximately 220microm). A linear relationship between measured volume fraction undersize at 10microm Q(3)(10microm) and added fine lactose could be established.

Modified Hadamard transform microchip electrophoresis.

Sensitivity is a crucial point in the development applications for medicine or environmental samples in which the analytes are present in the nanomolar range. Besides further technical development of detection systems, the multiplex sample injection technique can be applied for enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio. Hadamard transform is easily applied to microchip electrophoresis due to the fact that sample injection is generally achieved through cross, double-tee, or tee injector structures.

Capacitively coupled microplasma for on-column detection of chromatographically separated inorganic gases by optical emission spectrometry.

Two tubular electrodes placed on a capillary tubing are used to couple an electrical ac field of high voltage (20 kV) but low frequency (20 kHz) and about 8 W power inside for generation of the plasma. The emitted radiation is passed to a spectrometer via an optical fibre butted to the side of the capillary. The excitation temperature of the plasma determined from helium emission lines is about 4000 K.