Pharmaceutical Technology Chair of Prof. Dr. Gerhard Winter - Faculty for Chemistry and Pharmacy
Pharmaceutical Technology Chair of Prof. Dr. Gerhard Winter - Faculty for Chemistry and Pharmacy
In order to give a comprehensive outline of the field of pharmaceutical technology we introduce sophisticated methods and high-tech devices besides the conventional methods to our students.
Practical education is composed of modules: solid dosage forms, disperse dosage forms and sterile dosage forms and biopharmaceutical testing of drug delivery systems.
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The part of “solid dosage forms” in pharmaceutics skills lab offers students possibility to work on powders and granules up to pilot scale. Granules will be produced in fluid bed or via wet granulation in batch sizes from 1 lb up to 20 lbs. Several mixers and granulators are operated by students, e.g. the Diosna Mixer-Granulator, an Erweka Planetary Stirrer or the Hybridizer system. Excipients can be milled in ball mills or in a high speed rotor mill. The complete granule or powder mixture can be pressed in one of our excentric presses or in one of our rotary presses. For process monitoring presses data can be recorded, so that students can optimize their formulation or pressing process. After pressing students make Pharmacopoeia test with their tablets. The second part of solid dosage forms is coating. Students are allowed to make esculants with peanuts or almonds coated with chocolate. Besides that, there is driacoater and coating pan waiting for students to coat tablets and analyze them afterwards. |
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During their time in the module “disperse dosage forms” our students develop spray drying processes, perform freeze-drying and characterize the final products by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) or light microscopy. The residual moisture in the dried formulations is analysed by Karl-Fischer titration. DSC is further used to identify polymorphic changes in different lipid formulations changes upon temperature changes and shock freezing. In addition, the students learn to prepare liposomes and nanoparticles and characterize them by dynamic light scattering (DLS). Rheological properties of different liquid and semiliquid formulations are characterized by a cone-plate viscosimeter or a Texture Analyzer. An aerosol filling system offers the unique possibility to prepare deodorant sprays or foams and thereby learn more about different types of aerosol filling. Aerosols are further characterized using a cascade liquid impactor. The impact of light and primary packaging material on the photostability of drug substances is another task in this lab. |
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The module "biopharmaceutical testing" deals with drug release from the prevalent dosage forms, as well as with resorption models. Dissolution and drug release from solid dosage forms, e.g. tablets, capsules is tested according to the methods of the established Pharmacopoeias, using state-of-the-art equipment. Transdermal therapeutical systems and semi-solid preparations are also analzyed in this context. Drug resorption is determined using different in-vitro resorption models. Fundamentals of Pharmakokinetics combined with exemplary calculations are addressed in special seminars. To gain further insight into the field of Pharmacokinetics software for the modulation of pharmacokinetic processes is available for the students to practice. |
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Development of formulations for sterile dosage forms (eye drops, injections, infusions). Manufacturing of these formulations, sterile filtration and filling in containers for eye drops, ampoules, ready-to-fill syringes and infusion bottles. If possible, sterilization by autoclaving. |
