How to fill empty capsules?

What are the advantages of capsules as drug carriers?

The following are specific advantages of capsules

(1) Rapid dissolution and absorption: Capsules usually disintegrate quickly in the body, which helps to quickly release and absorb the drug and improve bioavailability.

(2) Masking taste and odor: Capsules can effectively mask the bitterness or odor of drugs and improve the patient's taking experience.

(3) Dosage accuracy: The drug dosage in each capsule is consistent, ensuring the accuracy and safety of medication.

(4) Diverse filling materials: Capsules can contain drugs in various forms, such as powder, granules, liquid, etc., and flexibly adapt to different drug needs.

(5) Improve patient compliance: The appearance and ease of swallowing of capsules are generally more popular, which improves patient compliance with medication.

(6) Protect active ingredients: The capsule shell can protect the drug from moisture, oxygen or light, thereby extending its shelf life.

(7) Suitable for customized preparations: Capsules can be modified, such as sustained release or controlled release, to meet personalized medical needs.

The importance of capsules in the pharmaceutical industry is reflected in their superior drug delivery properties and user experience. They can dissolve quickly and promote drug absorption, while effectively masking bad taste and improving patient compliance. In addition, the capsule's dosage accuracy and diverse filling material selection make it suitable for a variety of drug forms to meet the needs of personalized treatment. Therefore, capsules have become a key carrier in modern pharmaceuticals, helping to improve treatment effects and patient satisfaction.

capsules

1.Capsule filling principle

Separation of capsule shell and capsule cap: The capsule shell and capsule cap are pre-locked together, and the separation process usually uses vacuum suction. Through mechanical design, the capsule shell and capsule cap can be oriented and separated.

Filling: Capsules can be filled with powders, pellets, tablets, liquids, etc. Different filling methods are selected according to the properties of different materials. The main filling modes include filling rod type and insertion tube type.

Powder filling - filling rod type: the material is added to the hopper and compacted five times using the metering disk, and finally the medicine column is pressed into the capsule body.

Powder filling - cannula type: using a hollow metal metering tube and an adjustable piston to achieve powder filling through pre-pressure and compression.

Micropellet filling: The filling volume of micropellets is controlled by a metering plate to ensure filling accuracy.

Filling of other materials: including tablets, micro-tablets, liquids and dry powder inhalers (DPI), using different filling principles according to needs.

Cap and shell lock:At the locking station, after the capsule body and the capsule cap are aligned, the push rod rises and applies pressure to complete the locking of the capsule. If the capsule shell is not separated correctly, it will be rejected at the rejection station.

2.Capsule production process

(1) Preparation of capsule shell

Capsule shells are divided into soft capsule shells and hard capsule shells. Hard capsules are usually made of gelatin or plant-based materials, and soft capsules are mainly composed of gelatin, plasticizers and water. For most pharmaceutical companies, capsule shells are purchased from outside and are not produced by themselves.

(2) Drug preparation

The drug composition is similar to that of tablets, and a crusher, mixer, and granulator are required to perform the crushing, mixing, and granulation processes to ensure that the drug is evenly distributed and has good fluidity.

(3) Filling

Use capsule filling machines to fill drugs into capsules. Drug ingredients usually include powder, granular liquid, etc. According to the needs of different pharmaceutical companies, manual capsule filling machines, semi-automatic capsule filling machines, and fully automatic capsule filling machines can be used.

Capsule filling is usually divided into three steps:

(1) Separate the capsule shell and capsule cap

(2) Injection of medicine

( 3 ) Locking the capsule shell and capsule cap

capsules-2

(4) Packaging

For the prepared capsules, similar to tablets, they are usually packaged in blister packs or bottles and then boxed using a box packing machine.

3.Capsule filling machine selection

In the process of capsule filling, from small trials to production process verification, different types of machines and equipment are required. In the process of capsule filling, choosing the right equipment and methods is crucial to ensure product quality. Manual filling is suitable for small-scale or R&D stages, while semi-automatic and fully automatic capsule filling machines are more suitable for large-scale production, improving efficiency and accuracy. The use of different filling technologies and equipment can meet the needs and production requirements of various products.

(1). Manual filling

Manual filling is suitable for small-scale production or research and development. There are two main methods:

Gross Weight Method:

Steps: Weigh the empty capsule shell first, then separate the capsule body from the capsule cap, add the theoretical weight of the contents, pre-lock the capsule body and the capsule cap, weigh and adjust, and lock them after they are qualified.

Net weight method:

Steps: Weigh a certain amount of content, add a portion into the capsule body first, add the remaining portion after vibrating, and finally lock the capsule body and the capsule cap.

The capacity of manual filling is 30-90 capsules/hour.

In addition, a capsule filling plate can be used to manually separate the capsule shell and capsule cap, and the filling height can be adjusted using the fixing screws to control the weight. The weight difference of the capsules in the four corners can be adjusted to achieve overall weight control.

(2). Semi-automatic capsule filling machine

Semi-automatic capsule filling machines are usually equipped with three working stations, which respectively realize the separation of capsule shell and cap, filling of contents and capsule locking.

Body-cap separation: uses a similar principle to manual filling.

Content filling: Using the screw filling method, the rotating propeller feeds the powder through the feed paddle into the open capsule body located below the drug hopper for volume control to ensure the accuracy of the filling weight.

(3). Fully automatic capsule filling machine

The fully automatic capsule filling machine is the most commonly used equipment in the production process. It is efficient and accurate and can achieve the following functions:

Automatic separation of capsule shells and caps: fast and efficient capsule separation.

Precise filling: Advanced filling technologies (such as negative pressure filling, vibration filling, etc.) are used to ensure accurate filling of contents.

Locking capsule: After filling is completed, the capsule is automatically locked to ensure the sealing and stability of the capsule.

If you have any technical or equipment questions

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Post time: Oct-29-2024