Compacted Powder Tablet with Annular Girdle and Domes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tablet manufacturing and dispensing technologies face issues with breakage during production and jamming in dispensing devices, leading to inefficiencies and dosing errors due to the spherical shape and standard dimensions of tablets, which result in costly manufacturing processes and inaccurate dosing.
Innovation Solution
The development of tablets with a compacted powder shape featuring a substantially annular girdle and domes protruding from the edges, with specific dimensions and hardness to minimize breakage and jamming, and a method for preparing such tablets using direct compression moulding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If tablets are manufactured with standard spherical shape and dimensions, then manufacturing process is simple, but breakage frequency increases during mechanical removal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by transitioning from a spherical tablet shape to a non-spherical shape with specific geometric features including a largest cross-section that is circular but with modified contours and an axial height that creates an asymmetric profile. This asymmetric design prevents the tablet from being perfectly spherical, thereby reducing breakage during mechanical removal from molds while maintaining manufacturability through direct compression molding processes.
2Productivity
If tablets have standard dimensions, then manufacturing is efficient, but jamming and bridging occur in miniaturized dispensing devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by specifically controlling the axial height of the tablet to be within the range of 0.86 to 0.95 times the diameter of the largest cross-section, and by defining the largest cross-section with a diameter of 1.5 to 3.0 mm. These parameter modifications optimize the tablet geometry for miniaturized dispensing devices, preventing jamming and bridging while maintaining manufacturing efficiency through direct compression processes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If tablets are broken to divide doses, then dosing flexibility is achieved, but dose accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by designing tablets with specific geometric features including a largest cross-section and controlled axial height that enable the tablet to be divided into precise segments. The segmented design with defined geometric parameters allows for accurate dose division without manual breaking, thereby maintaining both dosing flexibility and dose accuracy through predetermined segmentable structures.
4Device complexity
If mechanical arm sweeps across mold to remove tablets, then manufacturing process is simple, but tablet breakage and residue increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-shaping the tablet during the direct compression molding process to have a specific non-spherical geometry with controlled axial height and cross-section dimensions. This preliminary shaping ensures that the tablet is pre-formed with optimal geometry before removal, reducing the force required during mechanical removal and minimizing both breakage and residue without increasing process complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The new tablet design reduces breakage during manufacturing and minimizes jamming and miscounting errors in dispensing devices, enhancing manufacturing efficiency and ensuring accurate dosing with reduced production costs and improved dosing accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a compacted powder and shaped to comprise: a substantially annular girdle having opposing circumferential edges, the girdle having a diameter (x); and a dome protruding from each of the opposing circumferential edges of the girdle
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed towards a compacted powder shaped to comprise: a) a substantially annular girdle having opposing circumferential edges, the girdle having a diameter (x); and b) a dome protruding from each of the opposing circumferential edges of the girdle, wherein the height of each dome (hd) from the circumferential edge is, individually, about 0.18x to about 0.28x.