Resonant Acoustic Mixing: Enhancing Low-Dose Blend Uniformity

Our paper investigates sample preparation techniques to improve the uniformity of low-dose pharmaceutical blends mixed using resonant acoustic mixing (RAM) technology. The study focuses on a challenging active pharmaceutical ingredient, caffeine, and its blending with lactose monohydrate, for which achieving acceptable homogeneity has been difficult. Researchers explored practical strategies like pre-processing with RAM, sieving, and dry powder coating to enhance blend uniformity at low drug concentrations. The findings demonstrate that even minor adjustments to initial sample conditions can significantly impact mixing quality in RAM, offering potential for improved manufacturing processes without costly micronization. The work also proposes theoretical principles, such as vibrational forcing and exponential amplification, to understand better the mechanisms behind RAM’s mixing capabilities and its sensitivity to material properties.