Nondestructive Control of Medicines by a Colormetric Method Using a Smartphone and the PhotoMetrix PRO® Application

Abstract

The non-destructive control of levofloxacin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetylsalicylic acid, and vinpocetine in medicines by their intrinsic fluorescence and diffuse reflectance of near-IR radiation using a smartphone and a 3D-printed device is proposed. Blister packs and tablet shells slightly reduce the intensity of the diffuse reflectance signal at a wavelength of 850 nm and fluorescence due to UV irradiation (390 nm), which is confirmed by a comparative analysis of the results of colorimetric measurement in samples of medicines in blister packs, without packs, and on a tablet split. A correlation is observed between the analytical signal and the mass of the active substance regardless of the study version. The data array was processed using principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and partial least squares (PLS) regression methods using the PhotoMetrix PRO^® smartphone software. It was shown that these algorithms can be used to identify drugs by their manufacturer and to determine the mass of active substances in tablets. Colorimetric signals from tablets from one manufacturer form separate clusters on dendrograms created using the HCA algorithm. The data obtained using PCA indicate the location of signals from tablets from different manufacturers in separate quadrants, which facilitates the identification of a pharmaceutical company. The use of chemometric analysis methods for determining the mass of the active substance in tablets is considered. The relative standard deviation of the analysis results does not exceed 0.04. The relative error of the analysis results does not exceed the recommended values for the preparation of medicines according to the Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation dated October 26, 2015 No. 751n.