Characterization of Orodispersible Films: An Overview of Methods and Introduction to a New Disintegration Test Apparatus Using LDR - LED Sensors.

Orodispersible Film (ODF) is a promising and progressive dosage form that offers exceptional drug delivery benefits to patients. Indeed, they are the most transformational alternatives to traditional or conventional tablets or capsule dosage forms. ODFs are portable and highly comfortable for self-administration by patients with swallowing problems. The key to gain end-user acceptance is to have an ODF with outstanding quality, as poor quality may lead to choking or spitting of ODF, accordingly leading to a lack of compliance. It is vital to employ suitable experimental methodologies that facilitate characterization or determination of the quality of ODF. Nonetheless, there are no standard techniques prescribed for ODFs in official compendia of any country. But, there is a consensus in the thin-film research community about the characterization techniques that one relies on deciding the quality of an ODF. We review various experimental techniques and highlight its importance in determining the performance and quality of an ODF. We provide a relatively novel and inventive disintegration test apparatus, which works using 'Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) sensors' for clear and accurate determination of start and end disintegration time of an ODF.