Tablet manufacturing method and tablet manufacturing device

Abstract

Provided is a technology that can reduce the occurrence of cracks in a tablet after the application to the tablet of an ink containing a medicinal component. This tablet manufacturing method includes a first drying step (S1) and a first application step (S3). The first drying step (S1) is a step for drying a base (91) to which a medicinal ink containing a medicinal component has not been applied. The first application step (S3) is a step for applying a medicinal ink to the base (91) after the first drying step (S1).

Description

Tablet manufacturing method and tablet manufacturing apparatus

[0001] The subject matter disclosed in this specification relates to a tablet manufacturing method and a tablet manufacturing apparatus.

[0002] Conventionally, when manufacturing tablets as pharmaceuticals, after mixing the medicinal ingredient (active ingredient) with an excipient or the like, it is formed by a tableting machine. However, in the above method, when the amount of the medicinal ingredient is very small, there is a problem that unevenness is likely to occur in the mixing process. Also, with this method, it was not easy to produce multiple varieties in small quantities.

[0003] Therefore, it has been proposed to apply an ink containing a medicinal ingredient to a tablet to give the tablet a very small amount of the medicinal ingredient (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] International Publication No. 202 / 218310

[0005] When an ink containing a medicinal ingredient is applied to a tablet, there is a risk that the tablet may crack due to swelling of the tablet.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of reducing the occurrence of cracks in a tablet after applying an ink containing a medicinal ingredient to the tablet.

[0007] To solve the above problems, a first aspect is a tablet manufacturing method including a first drying step of drying a base on which an ink containing a medicinal ingredient is not applied, and a first coating step of applying the ink to the base after the first drying step.

[0008] A second aspect is the tablet manufacturing method of the first aspect, further including a cooling step of cooling the base after the first drying step and before the first coating step.

[0009] A third aspect is the tablet manufacturing method of the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein the first drying step includes a step of exposing the base in air at 60 ° C or higher.

[0010] A fourth aspect is the tablet manufacturing method of the third aspect, wherein the first drying step includes a step of exposing the base in air at 60 ° C or higher for 1 hour or more.

[0011] The fifth embodiment is a tablet manufacturing method according to any of the first to fourth embodiments, further comprising: a second drying step of drying the base after the first coating step; and a second coating step of applying the ink to the base after the second drying step.

[0012] The sixth embodiment is a tablet manufacturing method according to the fifth embodiment, wherein the first drying step includes a step of exposing the base material to air at a first temperature, and the second drying step includes a step of exposing the base material to air at a second temperature lower than the first temperature.

[0013] The seventh embodiment is a tablet manufacturing method according to the sixth embodiment, wherein the second temperature is 50°C or lower.

[0014] The eighth aspect is a tablet manufacturing apparatus comprising a drying section for drying a base material that is not coated with an ink containing a pharmacoactive ingredient, and a coating section for coating the base material that has been dried by the drying section with the ink.

[0015] According to the first to eighth embodiments, since the amount of liquid in the tablet is reduced by drying, the swelling of the base coated with ink containing the active ingredient can be reduced, thereby reducing the likelihood of the base cracking.

[0016] According to the tablet manufacturing method of the second embodiment, cooling the base can reduce the denaturation of the active ingredient coated on the base.

[0017] According to the tablet manufacturing method of the third embodiment, the base can be dried.

[0018] According to the tablet manufacturing method of the fourth embodiment, the base can be thoroughly dried.

[0019] According to the tablet manufacturing method of the fifth embodiment, it is possible to increase the amount of pharmacoactive ingredient in the base while reducing the breakage of the base.

[0020] According to the tablet manufacturing method of the sixth embodiment, the degradation of the pharmacoactive ingredient applied to the base in the first coating step during the second drying step can be reduced.

[0021] According to the tablet manufacturing method of the seventh embodiment, the degradation of the active ingredient coated on the base can be reduced.

[0022] This figure shows the configuration of a tablet manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment. This figure schematically shows the configuration of the first coating section shown in Figure 1. This figure shows the flow of the tablet manufacturing method according to an embodiment. This figure schematically shows a base material that has cracked due to the coating of the medicinal ink.

[0023] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the components described in these embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to them alone. In the drawings, for ease of understanding, the dimensions and number of parts may be exaggerated or simplified as needed.

[0024] <1. Embodiment> Figure 1 shows the configuration of a tablet manufacturing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment. The tablet manufacturing apparatus 100 is a device that manufactures tablets containing a pharmacoactive ingredient by applying an ink containing a pharmacoactive ingredient (hereinafter referred to as "pharmacoactive ink") to a base 91.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the tablet manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a first drying section 1a, a first coating section 2a, a second drying section 1b, a second coating section 2b, and a control unit 3. The base material 91, which is not coated with ink, passes through the first drying section 1a, the first coating section 2a, the second drying section 1b, and the second coating section 2b in order, where it undergoes drying or coating treatment. As a result, tablets with the active ingredient ink coated on the base material 91 are manufactured.

[0026] The first drying unit 1a is a device for drying the base material 91 that is not coated with the medicated ink. The first drying unit 1a is a device for removing water contained in the base material 91 by evaporating the water and other liquid components contained in the base material 91. The first drying unit 1a has a heating unit H1 and a cooling unit C1.

[0027] The heating unit H1 heats the base material 91 by exposing it to air at a first temperature. The first temperature is preferably 50°C or higher, more preferably 60°C or higher. The heating unit H1 may heat multiple base materials 91 while transporting them by a conveyor or the like. Alternatively, the heating unit H1 may be configured to heat multiple base materials 91 gathered in one place. The heating unit H1 may have an air outlet that discharges air heated to the first temperature toward the base material 91. The heating unit H1 may also be equipped with a dehumidifier that dehumidifies the discharged air. When the base material 91 is heated in the heating unit H1, the liquid components in the base material 91 evaporate.

[0028] The cooling unit C1 is a device for cooling the base material 91 heated by the heating unit H1. The cooling unit C1 cools the base material 91 by exposing it to air at a temperature lower than the first temperature (for example, room temperature (20°C ± 5°C)). The cooling unit C1 may also cool the base material 91 while transporting it by a conveyor or the like. The cooling unit C1 cools the temperature (core temperature) of the base material 91 to preferably 50°C or lower, more preferably to room temperature. The base material 91 cooled by the cooling unit C1 is transported to the first coating unit 2a.

[0029] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the first coating unit 2a shown in Figure 1. The first coating unit 2a is a device that coats the surface of the base material 91 dried by the first drying unit 1a with a pharmaceutically active ink. The first coating unit 2a comprises a loading mechanism 10, a transport mechanism 20, a plurality of (two in this example) discharge heads 30, a plurality of (two in this example) drying units 40, a component inspection unit 50, and an unloading mechanism 60. In the following description, the direction in which the base material 91 is transported in the first coating unit 2a will be simply referred to as the "transport direction." The direction perpendicular to the transport direction will be referred to as the "width direction."

[0030] The loading mechanism 10 loads a plurality of base materials 91, which have been introduced into the first coating section 2a, into the transport mechanism 20. The loading mechanism 10 includes an alignment mechanism (not shown) and a loading drum 11. The alignment mechanism includes, for example, a vibrating feeder, a rotary feeder, and a chute. The plurality of base materials 91 are aligned into multiple rows (for example, five rows) by the alignment mechanism and supplied to the outer surface of the loading drum 11. The loading drum 11 rotates while adsorbing and holding the aligned base materials 91 one by one on its outer surface. As a result, the plurality of base materials 91 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the transport direction. The plurality of base materials 91 held in the loading drum 11 are transported along an arc-shaped transport path by the rotation of the loading drum 11 and handed over to the transport mechanism 20.

[0031] The conveying mechanism 20 holds multiple base materials 91 and conveys them along an annular conveying path. The conveying mechanism 20 includes a pair of pulleys 21, a conveying belt 22 stretched between the pair of pulleys 21, a conveying motor 23, and a suction mechanism 24. One of the pair of pulleys 21 rotates due to power obtained from the conveying motor 23. As a result, the conveying belt 22 rotates in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1. The other of the pair of pulleys 21 rotates in association with the rotation of the conveying belt 22.

[0032] Multiple suction holes are provided on the holding surface, which is the outer circumferential surface of the conveyor belt 22. The multiple suction holes are arranged at equal intervals in the conveying direction and in the width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. A smaller hole is provided at the bottom of each suction hole. Each suction hole communicates with the suction mechanism 24 through the smaller hole. The suction mechanism 24 draws gas from the space inside the conveyor belt 22. When the suction mechanism 24 is operated, the space inside the conveyor belt 22 becomes a negative pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. The multiple base materials 91 are adsorbed and held in the suction holes by this negative pressure.

[0033] Two ejection heads 30 eject pharmacoactive ink in an inkjet manner toward the surface of the base material 91, which is conveyed by the conveyor belt 22. The pharmacoactive ingredient is a substance that exhibits physiological activity among substances contained in pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, and pesticides, such as ascorbic acid and aspirin. Preferably, a coloring agent (colorant) is added to the pharmacoactive ink. The coloring agent is not particularly limited as long as it is edible, and can be appropriately selected from conventionally known synthetic food colorings, natural pigment derivatives, natural synthetic pigments, natural food colorings, etc. The synthetic food coloring is not particularly limited and includes, for example, Food Red No. 2, Food Red No. 3, Food Red No. 40, Food Red No. 102, Food Red No. 104, Food Red No. 105, Food Red No. 106, Food Yellow No. 4, Food Yellow No. 5, Food Blue No. 1, Food Blue No. 2, Food Green No. 3, etc. The natural pigment derivative is not particularly limited and includes, for example, copper chlorophyllin sodium. Natural synthetic pigments are not particularly limited and include, for example, β-carotene. Natural food pigments are not particularly limited and include, for example, anthocyanin pigments, carotenoid pigments, quinone pigments, flavonoid pigments, etc. These may be used individually or in combination of two or more.

[0034] The two discharge heads 30 are located above the conveyor belt 22 and are spaced apart from each other along the conveying path. Multiple base materials 91 are conveyed horizontally by the conveyor belt 22 below each discharge head 30. Each discharge head 30 extends in the width direction.

[0035] The ejection head 30 is a device that ejects droplets of medicinal ink (ink droplets) using an inkjet method. The ejection head 30 has multiple nozzles. Each nozzle of the ejection head 30 ejects an ink droplet toward the surface of the base 91. As a result, the medicinal ink is applied to one side of the surface of the base 91. A piezo method or a thermal method may be used as the method for ejecting ink droplets from the ejection head 30. Note that the number of ejection heads 30 provided in the tablet manufacturing apparatus 100 is not limited to two, but may be one or three or more.

[0036] The ejection head 30 is not limited to an inkjet system. The ejection head 30 may be configured to apply ink in a dispenser system. That is, the required amount of pharmaceutically active ink may be ejected onto the base 91 only once, thereby coating the base 91 with the pharmaceutically active ink.

[0037] The drying unit 40 dries the pharmaceutically active ink adhering to the surface of the base 91. In this example, one drying unit 40 is provided for each discharge head 30. The drying unit 40 is located downstream of the corresponding discharge head 30 in the transport path. The drying unit 40 extends in the width direction. The drying unit 40 is, for example, a hot air supply mechanism that blows heated air (hot air) toward the base 91. A portion of the pharmaceutically active ink adhering to the outer surface of the base 91 penetrates into the interior of the base 91. In addition, the pharmaceutically active ink adhering to the surface of the base 91 is dried by the hot air and fixed to the surface of the base 91. As a result, tablets are produced in which a printed portion containing the pharmaceutically active ingredient is formed on the surface of the base 91. Note that the drying unit 40 can be omitted. Also, if drying by the drying unit 40 is unnecessary (for example, if the amount of pharmaceutically active ink applied is small), the control unit 3 may stop driving the drying unit 40.

[0038] The component inspection unit 50 inspects the amount of active pharmaceutical ingredients coated on the base material 91 being transported by the transport mechanism 20. The component inspection unit 50 is located downstream of the second drying unit 40 on the transport path. The component inspection unit 50 detects the amount of active pharmaceutical ingredients non-contact, for example, using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR), Raman spectroscopy, or spectrophotometric measurement.

[0039] The component inspection unit 50 includes a light source (e.g., a laser) that irradiates the base material 91 with light, a spectrometer that spectrally analyzes the light reflected by the base material 91, and a detector (e.g., a CCD detector) that detects the spectrally analyzed light.

[0040] When near-infrared spectroscopy is used, irradiation light in the near-infrared region (800 to 2500 nm) is irradiated onto the base 91, and the light reflected by the base 91 is detected. Then, based on the measurement result of the absorbance of the detected light, quantification of the medicinal ingredient is performed. Also, when Raman spectroscopy is used, monochromatic light (light consisting of only a single vibration frequency) is irradiated onto the base 91, and the wavelength or scattering intensity of the light (Raman scattered light) reflected by the base 91 is measured. Then, based on the measurement result, quantification of the medicinal ingredient is performed.

[0041] When the medicinal ink contains a colorant, it becomes possible to accurately quantify the coating amount of the medicinal ink by spectroscopic analysis of the component inspection unit 50. Therefore, the coating amount of the medicinal ingredient can be accurately quantified indirectly.

[0042] The component inspection unit 50 may be disposed at a position between the first drying unit 40 and the second discharge head 30, or at a position between the first discharge head 30 and the first drying unit 40. Also, the component inspection unit 50 may be disposed at a position between the second discharge head 30 and the second drying unit 40.

[0043] The carry-out mechanism 60 carries out the base 91 coated with the medicinal ingredient from the inside of the tablet manufacturing apparatus 100 to the outside of the conveyance mechanism 20. The carry-out mechanism 60 includes a carry-out chute 61, a blow mechanism 62, and a carry-out conveyor (not shown). The carry-out chute 61 is located on the downstream side of the conveyance path from the drying unit 40.

[0044] The carry-out chute 61 faces the conveyance belt 22. The blow mechanism 62 blows pressurized air toward the small holes of the suction holes that have reached the position of the carry-out chute 61. Thereby, a pressure greater than the atmospheric pressure acts on the suction holes, and the adsorption of the base 91 is released. The base 91 whose adsorption has been released falls from the conveyance belt 22, passes through the carry-out chute 61, and onto the upper surface of the carry-out conveyor. Then, the fallen base 91 is carried out to the second drying unit 1b shown in FIG. 1 by the carry-out conveyor.

[0045] In the first coating unit 2a, the medicinal ink is coated on one side of the base 91. The medicinal ink coated on the base 91 penetrates into the base 91 and is retained therein.

[0046] The base 91 is a granular member on whose surface the medicinal ink applied can penetrate inside, and it is desirable to be, for example, a plain tablet (naked tablet). The base 91 contains excipients mainly composed of lactose, crystalline cellulose, D-mannitol, corn starch, etc. The base 91 may contain a disintegrant, a binder, a lubricant, or the like. The disintegrant includes, for example, calcium carmellose, croscarmellose sodium, crospovidone, low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose, or sodium starch glycolate. The binder includes, for example, hydroxypropyl cellulose, povidone, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, light anhydrous silicic acid, etc. The lubricant includes, for example, magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, or sodium stearyl fumarate.

[0047] Returning to FIG. 1, the second drying unit 1b is a device for drying the base 91 to which the medicinal ink has been applied by the first coating unit 2a. The second drying unit 1b is a device for removing the liquid components contained in the base 91. The second drying unit 1b has a heating unit H2.

[0048] The heating unit H2 heats the base 91 by exposing the base 91 in air at the second temperature. The second temperature is a temperature higher than normal temperature (20°C ± 5°C). The second temperature is preferably a temperature lower than the first temperature. The second temperature is, for example, 60°C or lower, preferably 50°C or lower. Similar to the heating unit H1 of the first drying unit 1a, the heating unit H2 may heat a plurality of bases 91 while conveying the plurality of bases 91 by a conveyor or the like. Also, the heating unit H2 may be configured to heat a plurality of bases 91 collected in one place together. Also, the heating unit H2 may have an air discharge port for blowing air at the second temperature onto the base 91.

[0049] The base 91 dried in the second drying unit 1b is conveyed to the second coating unit 2b. Note that, similar to the first drying unit 1a, the second drying unit 1b may also include a cooling unit for cooling the base 91 heated by the heating unit H2 to a predetermined temperature.

[0050] The second coating unit 2b is a device for coating the surface of the base material 91, which has been dried by the second drying unit 1b, with a pharmaceutically active ink. The configuration of the second coating unit 2b is the same as that of the first coating unit 2a, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0051] Furthermore, the pharmaceutically active ink may be applied to the same surface of the base material 91 in both the first coating section 2a and the second coating section 2b. However, in the second coating section 2b, the pharmaceutically active ink may be applied to the surface of the base material 91 opposite to the surface to which the pharmaceutically active ink was applied in the first coating section 2a. By dispersing and applying the pharmaceutically active ink to both surfaces of the base material 91 in this way, it is possible to prevent the amount of liquid pharmaceutically active ink from concentrating on one side. Therefore, the occurrence of cracks in the base material 91 can be reduced.

[0052] The second coating section 2b can be omitted. That is, the base material 91 dried in the second drying section 1b may be transported to the first coating section 2a, where the ink may be applied to the base material 91 again.

[0053] The control unit 3 controls the operation of the tablet manufacturing apparatus 100. The control unit 3 is composed of a computer equipped with a processor such as a CPU and memory such as RAM. The memory stores computer programs and various data. By executing the computer programs stored in the memory, the processor realizes various processes in the tablet manufacturing apparatus 100, including the application of medicinal ink. The computer programs are provided to the control unit 3 via a non-transient recording medium such as an optical disk, magnetic disk, or USB memory. The computer programs may also be provided to the control unit 3 via a network such as the Internet or a local network.

[0054] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the flow of a tablet manufacturing method according to the embodiment. The tablet manufacturing method includes, in order, a first drying step S1, a cooling step S2, a first coating step S3, a second drying step S4, and a second coating step S5.

[0055] The first drying step S1 is a step of drying the base material 91 that has not been coated with the pharmaceutically active ink. The first drying step S1 is a process of exposing the base material 91 to air at a first temperature for a predetermined drying time. The first temperature is preferably 50°C or higher, and more preferably 60°C or higher. The drying time is preferably 30 minutes or more, and more preferably 1 hour or more. In the tablet manufacturing apparatus 100 shown in Figure 1, the step of heating and drying the base material 91 with the heating unit H1 of the first drying unit 1a is an example of the first drying step S1.

[0056] The cooling step S2 is a step of cooling the base material 91 that has been heated in the first drying step S1. The cooling step S2 is a step of lowering the temperature of the base material 91 so as not to affect the active pharmaceutical ingredient applied to the base material 91 in the subsequent first coating step S3. In the tablet manufacturing apparatus 100, the step of cooling the base material 91 with the cooling section C1 of the first drying section 1a is an example of the cooling step S2.

[0057] The first coating step S3 is a step in which the pharmaceutically active ink is applied to the base 91 after the cooling step S2. In the tablet manufacturing apparatus 100, the step of applying the pharmaceutically active ink to the base 91 by the first coating unit 2a is an example of the first coating step S3.

[0058] The second drying step S4 is a step of drying the base material 91 to which the pharmaceutically active ink has been applied in the first coating step S3. The second drying step S4 includes, for example, a step of drying the base material 91 by heating it to a second temperature. The second temperature is higher than room temperature (20°C ± 5°C). Preferably, the second temperature is lower than the first temperature. The second temperature is, for example, 60°C or lower, and more preferably 50°C or lower. In the tablet manufacturing apparatus 100, the step of heating and drying the base material 91 with the heating section H2 of the second drying section 1b is an example of the second drying step S4.

[0059] The second coating step S5 is a step of applying the pharmaceutically active ink to the base material 91 that has been dried in the second drying step S4. In the tablet manufacturing apparatus 100, the step of applying the pharmaceutically active ink to the base material 91 by the second coating unit 2b is an example of the second coating step S5.

[0060] Figure 4 schematically shows a base material 91 that has cracked after being coated with a medicated ink. As shown in Figure 4, if the base material 91 is not sufficiently dry, cracks 95 may occur in the ink-penetrated portion 93 on the side 91S where the medicated ink is applied. It is thought that such cracks 95 occur because the amount of liquid in the base material 91 exceeds the amount it can hold due to the penetration of the medicated ink, causing the base material 91 to swell.

[0061] In this embodiment, the base 91 is dried in the first drying step S1 before the medicated ink is applied in the first coating step S3. As a result, the liquid component in the base 91 is removed in advance, creating a margin in the amount of liquid that the base 91 can absorb. As a result, even if the medicated ink penetrates the base 91, the swelling of the base 91 is reduced, and cracking of the base 91 can be effectively reduced.

[0062] Furthermore, in order to prevent cracking of the base 91 after application of the medicated ink due to insufficient drying, in the first drying step S1, it is preferable to evaporate 1% by weight or more, preferably 2% by weight or more, and more preferably 3% by weight or more of the liquid component relative to the weight of the base 91 before drying.

[0063] Furthermore, by performing the second coating step S5 after the first coating step S3, the amount of active pharmaceutical ingredient in the base 91 can be increased. Also, by performing the second drying step S4 before the second coating step S5, swelling of the base 91 due to the active pharmaceutical ink applied in the second coating step S5 can be reduced. Therefore, cracking of the base 91 can be reduced.

[0064] Furthermore, by setting the second temperature in the second drying step S4 lower than the first temperature in the first drying step S1, the denaturation of the active ingredient applied to the base 91 in the first coating step S3 can be reduced. In particular, by setting the second temperature to 50°C or lower, the denaturation of the active ingredient can be further reduced.

[0065] The drying method for the base material 91 in the first drying step S1 and the second drying step S4 is not limited to a hot air drying method in which the base material 91 is exposed to heated air. For example, a low-humidity air drying method may be used in which dried air (low-humidity air with a relative humidity lower than the ambient humidity) is blown onto the base material 91. Alternatively, the first drying step S1 and the second drying step S4 may be a desiccant method in which the base material 91 is placed in a predetermined room together with a desiccant (silica gel, quicklime, etc.). Other drying methods that can be used include a heat conduction method in which the base material 91 is brought into contact with a heated hot plate, an infrared method in which infrared rays are irradiated onto the base material 91, a vacuum drying method in which the base material 91 is placed in a vacuum, or an electromagnetic wave method in which energy is supplied by electromagnetic waves generated by a microwave oven.

[0066] <Experimental Example> To evaluate the cracking of the base 91 due to the application of the medicinal ink, experiments were conducted with varying tablet compression pressure and drying conditions. In this experiment, a 200 mg placebo tablet was used as the base 91. The composition of the placebo tablet was crystalline cellulose (Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corporation, Ceolus PH-102®) (96% by weight), sodium starch glycolate (Primojel®) (3% by weight), and sodium stearyl fumarate (PRUV®) (1% by weight). Approximately 17 mg of medicinal ink was applied to one side of the base 91. The composition of the medicinal ink was ibuprofen (15% by weight), polyethylene glycol (PEG) 600 (18.7% by weight), ethanol (66.2% by weight), and Blue No. 1 (0.1% by weight). Blue No. 1 was added to identify the areas where the medicinal ink had penetrated.

[0067] Furthermore, the compression pressure for the placebo tablets was 3 kN in Experimental Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Example 1, and 5 kN in Experimental Examples 3 and 4 and Comparative Example 2. Regarding drying conditions, in Experimental Examples 1 and 3, the base 91 was exposed to 60°C air in a hot air oven for 1 hour immediately before coating with the pharmaceutically active ink. In Experimental Examples 2 and 4, the base 91 was exposed to 80°C air in a hot air oven for 1 hour immediately before coating with the pharmaceutically active ink. In Comparative Examples 1 and 2, no special drying was performed. Table 1 shows the results of the evaluation experiments. In Table 1, if cracking occurred in the base 91, the evaluation result is marked as "×", and if no cracking occurred in the base 91, the evaluation result is marked as "○".

[0068]

[0069] As shown in Table 1, cracks occurred in the placebo tablets in Comparative Examples 1 and 2 (see Figure 4). On the other hand, no cracks occurred in the placebo tablets in Experimental Examples 1 to 4. In other words, regardless of the amount of compression pressure, cracking of the placebo tablets due to the application of the pharmaceutically active ink was suppressed by drying the placebo tablets beforehand and then applying the pharmaceutically active ink.

[0070] Although this invention has been described in detail, the above description is illustrative in all respects, and the invention is not limited thereto. It is understood that countless variations not illustrated can be conceived without falling outside the scope of this invention. The components described in each of the above embodiments and variations can be combined or omitted as appropriate, as long as they do not contradict each other.

[0071] 1a First drying section 2a First coating section 91 Base 100 Tablet manufacturing apparatus

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing tablets, comprising: a first drying step of drying a base that is not coated with an ink containing a pharmacoactive ingredient; and a first coating step of coating the base with the ink after the first drying step.

2. A method for manufacturing tablets according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling step of cooling the base after the first drying step and before the first coating step.

3. A method for manufacturing tablets according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first drying step includes a step of exposing the base material to air at 60°C or higher.

4. A method for manufacturing tablets according to claim 3, wherein the first drying step includes a step of exposing the base material to air at 60°C or higher for one hour or more.

5. A method for manufacturing tablets according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a second drying step of drying the base after the first coating step; and a second coating step of applying the ink to the base after the second drying step.

6. A method for manufacturing tablets according to claim 5, wherein the first drying step includes a step of exposing the base material to air at a first temperature, and the second drying step includes a step of exposing the base material to air at a second temperature lower than the first temperature.

7. A method for manufacturing tablets according to claim 6, wherein the second temperature is 50°C or lower.

8. A tablet manufacturing apparatus comprising: a drying section for drying a base material that is not coated with an ink containing a pharmacoactive ingredient; and a coating section for coating the base material that has been dried by the drying section with the ink.

Images