RapID results

RapID is a new tool for raw materials ID that works through unopened packaging, such as sacks.

“It can reduce the total analysis time for incoming goods significantly over handheld Raman instruments, and because of that capability, it has grown more quickly than we expected.  The most obvious benefit is in removing the sampling step in the testing process; avoiding opening the containers to take a measurement or taking a physical sample saves cost.  Since sampling of containers is expensive and time consuming RapID makes 100% testing an easier option for pharma companies,” reveals Andrews.

RapID uses a patented technology called SORS. According to Andrews, this offers a range of advantages compared with handheld spectroscopy devices.

“Handheld instruments operate on a line-of-sight principle.  If you can see the contents by eye then you can usually ID it, although exceptions include large amber bottles or thick plastic containers,” he says.

RapID can work with those containers as well but also paper sacks, plastic sacks, tubs, bottles and super-sacks, regardless of whether they are transparent, opaque or coloured. 

“SORS basically removes the signal from the container to leave a Raman spectrum of the contents. SORS doesn’t require a more powerful laser (in fact, it operates at significantly lower power densities than handhelds); it works by taking multiple measurements.”

One of Cobalt’s customer uses a lot of benzene-derivatives for sterile product manufacture.  It receives thousands of amber bottles per year. 

“Since they are sterile, opening and sampling the bottles requires a sterile booth and many slow steps to keep the contents from being contaminated. This significantly impacted their testing resource, which at 100% of containers created significant cost. With RapID they ID the contents in little more than five seconds per container in a normal non-sterile room or open warehouse floor,” adds Andrews.

“One of our most common application areas is identifying excipients for manufacture of tablets and capsules. Lactose and other sugar products typically arrive in large batches of multi-layer paper sacks, and cutting open each one in a dedicated sampling booth creates a testing bottleneck. RapID can remove that bottleneck. We have increasing our presence in the parenteral and biopharma industries since not opening sterile or chilled/frozen containers is a big advantage,” says Andrews.

The technology is also suited to any material which is easily contaminated (hygroscopic, for example) or dangerous to humans (hormones, for example) and  is best tested through sealed containers.

So, what next for Cobalt? According to Andrews, the company is expanding across the globe. He adds: “The next big news will be about our TRS100 instrument;  it uses transmission Raman technology to perform content uniformity testing, replacing many HPLC instruments and their operators for every Cobalt instrument.  A TRS100 can complete a uniformity of dosing units test on multiple tablets or capsules in a few seconds per tablet, with no solvents or consumables.  What is exciting news is that pharma companies are deploying our technology for regulated batch release of their products.”