Easy Chew Formulations via Binder and Plasticizer Ratios
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing soft chewable tablets often suffer from unacceptable hardness, poor manufacturing processability, and undesirable taste or texture, making them less favored by consumers.
Innovation Solution
A composition comprising edible oils, triglycerides, humectants, and binders, along with active pharmaceutical ingredients, that can be formulated into easy-chew tablets with specific weight percentages to achieve optimal hardness and friability, using a combination of granulation and flow aids to improve manufacturing and consumer experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional hard chewable tablets are used, then manufacturing is simple and tablets are durable, but they fracture into small particles during chewing giving a dry gritty texture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the tablet formulation by incorporating specific ratios of binders (20-70 wt%), plasticizers (5-30 wt%), and lubricants (1-5 wt%). This modifies the tablet's mechanical properties to achieve a hardness of 2-10 kp and elongation at break of 5-20 mm, transforming the chewing experience from dry and gritty to soft and pliable while maintaining manufacturability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining multiple functional ingredients: binders (maltodextrin, sucrose, microcrystalline cellulose), plasticizers (glycerin, sorbitol, polyethylene glycol), and lubricants (magnesium stearate, colloidal silicon dioxide). This composite approach creates a synergistic effect that achieves both ease of manufacture and improved chewing characteristics
2Ease of operation
If soft chew formulations are used to improve chewing experience, then texture is better, but hardness levels are unacceptable at 3 kp or more
Solution Approach 1:
The patent precisely controls the hardness parameter by adjusting the formulation ratios of plasticizers (5-30 wt%) and lubricants (1-5 wt%). The optimized formulation achieves a hardness of 2-10 kp, which is softer than conventional soft chew formulations (3 kp or more) while maintaining adequate structural integrity for handling and manufacturing
3Ease of operation
If soft chew formulations are used to improve texture, then chewing is easier, but flow properties are poor making manufacturing difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the flow properties by carefully selecting and ratioing binders with different flow characteristics. The binder composition (20-70 wt% of maltodextrin, sucrose, microcrystalline cellulose, pregelatinized starch, dextrose, or lactose) is optimized to provide adequate flow for manufacturing while maintaining the soft chewable characteristics in the final product
4Ease of operation
If soft chew formulations are used to improve chewing experience, then texture is better, but manufacturing processes are long or require high temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs ingredients that self-bind and self-plasticize during the compression process, eliminating the need for separate granulation, drying, and heating steps. The binder and plasticizer components work synergistically during tablet compression to create the desired soft chewable structure, significantly reducing manufacturing time and eliminating high-temperature processing
Data Source
AI summary
A composition comprising an edible oil comprising coconut oil, palm kernel oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, hemp seed oil or any combination thereof; an edible triglyceride comprising cocoa butter, mango butter, ghee, hydrogenated palm oil, or any combination thereof; a humectant comprising glycerin, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, or any combination thereof; a binder comprising maltodextrin, sucrose, microcrystalline cellulose, pregelatinized starch, dextrose, lactose, or any combination thereof; and one or more flow aids.