Pharmaceutical Technologies

Pharmaceutical Technologies research is application driven and directed towards the development of new technologies in healthcare and industry. We are able to solve specific business problems, help develop products and services, and provide job-specific training and work based learning in Pharmaceutical Quality by Design. By working with the Pharmaceutical Technologies Group your organisation could benefit from our research expertise, analytical services, bespoke consultancy and a range of collaborative R&D opportunities.

Our expertise covers:

  • Analytical science - terahertz imaging and spectroscopy; dielectric spectroscopy; thermal analysis; rheology; NIR and raman spectroscopy; atomic force microscopy and SEM.
  • Drug delivery - including bio-responsive polymers for diabetes and psoriasis and biodegradable polymeric nano/micro particles.
  • Materials science - including particle engineering, co-crystal screening/characterisation/property prediction; powder technology; amorphous materials; hydrogels and polymers.
  • Manufacturing processes - continuous manufacturing of solid dose forms (inc. direct compression tableting and hot melt extrusion). Unit process, inc. batch crystallization; freeze-drying; micronization, electro-hydrodynamic spraying of micro-particles, micro-fibres and micro-bubbles.
  • Pharmaceutical product development - including in vitro dissolution testing, on-line Raman monitoring of dissolution process and computer simulations of drug dissolution.
  • Process analytical technologies – through-vial impedance spectroscopy for lyophilization process understanding and control. Powder flow patterns analysis by optical and electrostatic techniques. Tablet inspection systems using intelligent laser speckle classification.

Research aims

Our mission is to transfer our knowledge and technology, established in the field of pharmaceutical sciences, microbiology, chemistry, physics and engineering (in particular process engineering), to provide step changes in standards of product & process design and healthcare interventions. The emphasis is pharmaceutical, biomedical and healthcare, but with strong synergy to some other process industries such as the food industry.

Contact:

For further information on the Pharmaceutical Technologies Group please contact:

Geoff Smith
Professor of Pharmaceutical Process Analytical Technologies
De Montfort University 
Hawthorn Building HB3.13A
The Gateway
Leicester
LE1 9BH

T: +44 (0)116 250 6298
E: gsmith02@dmu.ac.uk
SM: uk.linkedin.com/in/gsmith02