An optical method for continuous monitoring of the dissolution rate of pharmaceutical powders.

Monitoring systems providing fast and reliable, even on-line data, from a distinct process stage or final product are needed in drug development, from the early stages of drug discovery until the drug product manufacturing procedures. This includes also processes involving solid particles, such as drug dissolution. However, the existing in vitro drug dissolution test methods suffer limitations, such as long sampling times of 30-60s and thus the inability to be adapted to continuous monitoring, time consuming sample preparation and consumption of large amounts of reagents.