A rotary tablet press for laboratory drug development

Abstract

This utility model provides a rotary tablet press for laboratory drug development, relating to the field of drug development equipment technology. It includes a rotary tablet press body with a feed inlet at its top and a turntable at its lower end. A mold compartment is installed below the turntable, and a protective cover is installed on the outer side between the turntable and the mold compartment. Through non-contact coupling between a permanent magnet array on the edge of the turntable and an electromagnetic drive module at the bottom of the mold compartment, rapid hot-plugging of the mold compartment within 10 seconds is achieved without stopping the machine, increasing production efficiency by over 80%. Furthermore, piezoelectric ceramic micro-motion mechanisms at the four corners of the mold compartment automatically compensate for installation deviations, ensuring that the tablet weight difference is less than or equal to ±0.8%, completely solving the quality problems caused by traditional misalignment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of pharmaceutical research and development equipment technology, and in particular to a rotary tablet press for laboratory pharmaceutical research and development. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional rotary tablet presses are widely used in laboratory drug development. While they offer certain advantages, they also present several significant challenges. First, mold changes require machine downtime, increasing operational complexity and severely impacting production efficiency. Furthermore, precise mold positioning is crucial; inaccurate alignment directly affects tablet quality. Second, rotary tablet presses are prone to uneven loading during compression, leading to inconsistent pressure distribution. This can result in inconsistent tablet density and potential quality instability. Under pressure from the rotating disc, this asymmetrical force distribution can deform the tablet shape, affecting the final product's quality and stability. Finally, the complex transmission structure of rotary tablet presses makes cleaning extremely difficult. These structures easily leave drug powder residue, increasing cleaning workload and posing a risk of cross-contamination. Therefore, we propose a rotary tablet press for laboratory drug development. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies. Traditional mold changes require machine downtime, which not only increases operational complexity but also severely impacts production efficiency. Furthermore, precise mold positioning is crucial; inaccurate alignment directly affects tablet quality. Secondly, rotary tablet presses are prone to uneven loading during compression, leading to inconsistent pressure distribution. This not only results in inconsistent tablet density but may also cause quality instability. When the rotating disc is under pressure, this asymmetrical force distribution can deform the tablet shape, affecting the final product's quality and stability. Finally, the complex transmission structure of rotary tablet presses makes cleaning extremely difficult. These structures easily leave powder residue, increasing cleaning workload and posing a risk of cross-contamination.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A rotary tablet press for laboratory drug development includes a rotary tablet press body, a feed inlet at the top of the rotary tablet press body, a turntable at the lower end of the feed inlet, a mold chamber installed below the turntable, and a protective cover installed on the outer side between the turntable and the mold chamber.

[0005] Furthermore, the protective cover is generally conical and ring-shaped, and the protective cover adopts a ring-shaped double-layer structure. A spiral guide groove is provided between the inner layer and the outer layer of the protective cover, and the spiral rotation direction of the spiral guide groove is opposite to the rotation direction of the turntable.

[0006] Furthermore, the outer layer of the protective cover is fixed on the main frame of the rotary tablet press, and eight oblique holes are equally spaced at the bottom of the outer layer of the protective cover. The gap between the inner layer of the protective cover and the turntable is 0.5mm.

[0007] Furthermore, the outer wall of the protective cover has a corrugated structure, and a dust collection groove is designed at the end of the spiral guide groove at the bottom of the protective cover.

[0008] Furthermore, a pressure plate is embedded in the working contact surface of the turntable, the surface of the pressure plate is provided with a honeycomb texture, and the edge of the pressure plate is integrated with an annular electrode.

[0009] Furthermore, the surface of the pressure plate that contacts the powder is made of silicon nitride ceramic material, the upper layer of the contact surface of the pressure plate is made of piezoelectric fiber composite material, and a distributed fiber grating is provided on top of the piezoelectric fiber composite material.

[0010] Furthermore, a ring-shaped permanent magnet array is embedded in the edge of the turntable, several electromagnetic drive modules are installed at the bottom of the mold compartment, and piezoelectric ceramic positioners are installed at the four corners of the mold compartment.

[0011] Furthermore, an electromagnetic drive module is installed at the center of the bottom of the mold compartment, and four electromagnetic drive modules are equidistantly arranged on the bottom edge of the mold compartment. The outer shells of the four electromagnetic drive modules arranged on the bottom edge of the mold compartment are provided with heat dissipation holes.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are: 1. By using the non-contact coupling between the permanent magnet array on the edge of the turntable and the electromagnetic drive module at the bottom of the mold compartment, rapid hot-plugging of the mold compartment within 10 seconds is achieved without stopping the machine, increasing production efficiency by more than 80%. In addition, the piezoelectric ceramic micro-motion mechanism at the four corners of the mold compartment automatically compensates for installation deviations, ensuring that the weight difference of the tablets is less than or equal to ±0.8%, completely solving the quality problems caused by traditional misalignment.

[0013] 2. The piezoelectric fiber composite material of the pressure plate dynamically adjusts the surface deformation based on the real-time strain data of 5000 points / m² of the distributed fiber optic grating, eliminating the influence of off-center loading and making the tablet density uniformity reach 98.5%. In addition, the silicon nitride ceramic contact layer reduces adhesion and material residue, and the titanium alloy honeycomb structure on the surface of the pressure plate reduces rotational inertia energy consumption by 15% while ensuring rigidity.

[0014] 3. The reverse spiral guide channel uses centrifugal force to guide dust to the dust collection tank, and compressed air pulse jet achieves zero dead angle cleaning, with residual powder less than or equal to 0.1mg / cm². The corrugated protective cover and the turntable have a dynamic gap design of 0.5mm to avoid friction and prevent powder from escaping. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a rotary tablet press for laboratory drug development provided by this utility model; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the protective cover structure of a rotary tablet press for laboratory drug research and development provided by this utility model; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the rotary tablet press and mold chamber structure for laboratory drug research and development provided by this utility model; Figure 4 This utility model provides a schematic diagram of the bottom pressure plate structure of a rotary tablet press for laboratory drug research and development.

[0016] Legend: 1. Main body of rotary tablet press; 101. Feed port; 102. Turntable; 103. Mold compartment; 104. Protective cover; 105. Spiral guide groove; 106. Press plate; 107. Annular permanent magnet array; 108. Electromagnetic drive module. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments of the present utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0018] To facilitate understanding of this utility model, a more comprehensive description of this utility model will be provided below with reference to relevant embodiments, and several embodiments of this utility model will be given. However, this utility model can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the disclosure of this utility model more thorough and complete.

[0019] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this document are for illustrative purposes only.

[0020] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0021] Example 1: like Figure 1-4 As shown, this utility model provides a technical solution: a rotary tablet press for laboratory drug development, including a rotary tablet press body 1. The top of the rotary tablet press body 1 is provided with a feed inlet 101, and the lower end of the feed inlet 101 is provided with a turntable 102. A mold chamber 103 is installed below the turntable 102. A protective cover 104 is installed on the outer side between the turntable 102 and the mold chamber 103. The protective cover 104 is made of double-layer stainless steel corrugated cover. The inner layer is provided with a spiral guide groove 105 that is linked with the compressed air nozzle. When the rotation speed of the turntable 102 is greater than 50 rpm, the centrifugal force drives the residual powder to move along the guide groove. At the same time, the pulse airflow is sprayed out from the radial gap for cleaning, which shortens the cleaning time by 70% and meets the GMP-level cleanliness requirements.

[0022] Example 2: like Figure 1-4 As shown, the protective cover 104 is generally conical and annular. The protective cover 104 adopts a double-layer annular structure. A spiral guide groove 105 is provided between the inner and outer layers of the protective cover 104. In fact, the spiral guide groove 105 forms a closed flow channel after the two layers of the cover are fastened together. The spiral rotation direction of the spiral guide groove 105 is opposite to the rotation direction of the turntable 102. The outer layer of the protective cover 104 is fixed on the frame of the rotary tablet press body 1. Eight oblique holes are equally spaced at the bottom of the outer layer of the protective cover 104. The gap between the inner layer of the protective cover 104 and the turntable 102 is 0.5mm. The outer wall of the protective cover 104 has a corrugated structure. A dust collection groove is designed at the end of the spiral guide groove 105 at the bottom of the protective cover 104. When the rotation speed of the turntable 102 is greater than 50rpm, the air valve at the bottom of the protective cover 104 automatically opens. A pressure plate 106 is embedded in the working contact surface of the turntable 102. The surface of the pressure plate 106 is provided with a honeycomb texture. The edge of the pressure plate 106 integrates a ring electrode. The surface of the pressure plate 106 that contacts the powder is made of silicon nitride ceramic material, which directly contacts the powder and has ultra-low adhesion. The upper layer of the contact surface of the pressure plate 106 is made of piezoelectric fiber composite material, which receives electrical signals to generate micro-deformation. A distributed fiber optic grating is set above the piezoelectric fiber composite material to monitor strain in real time. When the powder is compressed, the distributed fiber optic grating generates a strain cloud map. A ring-shaped permanent magnet array 107 is embedded in the edge of the turntable 102, which generates a strong directional magnetic field. Several electromagnetic drive modules 108 are installed at the bottom of the mold compartment 103. When the electromagnetic drive modules 108 are energized, they generate an interactive magnetic field to achieve levitation or locking. Piezoelectric ceramic positioners are installed at the four corners of the mold compartment 103 to achieve micron-level position correction. An electromagnetic drive module 108 is installed at the center of the bottom of the mold compartment 103. The central electromagnetic drive module 108 is used for attitude fine-tuning and anti-deflection. Four electromagnetic drive modules 108 are equidistantly arranged on the bottom edge of the mold compartment 103. The four electromagnetic drive modules 108 undertake the main levitation drive. The shells of the four electromagnetic drive modules 108 arranged on the bottom edge of the mold compartment 103 are provided with heat dissipation holes.

[0023] The workflow of this utility model is as follows: When using a rotary tablet press for laboratory pharmaceutical research, firstly, when a mold needs to be changed, the robotic arm moves the mold compartment 103 close to the edge of the turntable 102. After the electromagnetic drive module 108 at the bottom of the mold compartment 103 is energized, it generates magnetic levitation force with the permanent magnet array of the turntable 102, causing the mold compartment 103 to levitate in a 0.5mm air gap. The piezoelectric ceramic positioner automatically fine-tunes the position, completing the online mold change within 10 seconds. During the change process, the distributed fiber optic grating monitors the strain of the pressing plate 106 in real time to ensure accurate mold alignment. The powder enters the mold through the feed port 101. When the turntable 102 rotates, the piezoelectric fiber composite material of the pressure plate 106 dynamically deforms according to the strain data of 5000 points / m² of the fiber optic grating: the PFC in the high-pressure zone shrinks, and the PFC in the low-pressure zone expands, so that the pressure distribution uniformity reaches 98.5%. The silicon nitride ceramic contact layer reduces adhesion, and the honeycomb matrix reduces the rotational load. When the rotation speed is greater than 50 rpm, the centrifugal force inside the protective cover 104 drives the powder to move along the reverse spiral guide groove 105, while at the same time, 0.6 MPa pulse airflow is injected from the eight oblique holes at the bottom, blowing the dust into the dust collection tank. The corrugated protective cover 104 maintains a dynamic gap of 0.5 mm with the turntable 102, achieving zero dead angle cleaning and completing GMP-level clean maintenance within 5 minutes.

[0024] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A rotary tablet press for laboratory drug development, comprising a rotary tablet press body (1), characterized in that: The top of the rotary tablet press body (1) is provided with a feed inlet (101), the bottom of the feed inlet (101) is provided with a turntable (102), a mold chamber (103) is installed below the turntable (102), and a protective cover (104) is installed on the outer side between the turntable (102) and the mold chamber (103).

2. The rotary tablet press for laboratory drug development according to claim 1, characterized in that: The protective cover (104) is generally conical and ring-shaped. The protective cover (104) adopts a ring double-layer structure. A spiral guide groove (105) is provided between the inner layer and the outer layer of the protective cover (104). The spiral rotation direction of the spiral guide groove (105) is opposite to the rotation direction of the turntable (102).

3. The rotary tablet press for laboratory drug development according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer cover of the protective cover (104) is fixed on the frame of the rotary tablet press body (1). Eight oblique holes are equally spaced at the bottom of the outer cover of the protective cover (104). The gap between the inner cover of the protective cover (104) and the turntable (102) is 0.5mm.

4. The rotary tablet press for laboratory drug development according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer wall of the protective cover (104) has a corrugated structure, and a dust collection groove is designed at the end of the spiral guide groove (105) at the bottom of the protective cover (104).

5. A rotary tablet press for laboratory drug development according to claim 1, characterized in that: A pressure plate (106) is embedded in the working contact surface of the turntable (102). The surface of the pressure plate (106) is provided with a honeycomb texture, and the edge of the pressure plate (106) is integrated with an annular electrode.

6. A rotary tablet press for laboratory drug development according to claim 5, characterized in that: The surface of the pressure plate (106) that contacts the powder is made of silicon nitride ceramic material, and the upper layer of the contact surface of the pressure plate (106) is made of piezoelectric fiber composite material, and a distributed fiber grating is provided above the piezoelectric fiber composite material.

7. A rotary tablet press for laboratory drug development according to claim 1, characterized in that: The turntable (102) has an embedded ring permanent magnet array (107) on its edge, and several electromagnetic drive modules (108) are installed at the bottom of the mold compartment (103). Piezoelectric ceramic positioners are installed at the four corners of the mold compartment (103).

8. A rotary tablet press for laboratory drug development according to claim 7, characterized in that: An electromagnetic drive module (108) is installed at the center of the bottom of the mold compartment (103). Four electromagnetic drive modules (108) are equidistantly arranged on the bottom edge of the mold compartment (103). Heat dissipation holes are provided on the outer shell of the four electromagnetic drive modules (108) arranged on the bottom edge of the mold compartment (103).

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