Real-time Process Management in Particulate and Pharmaceutical Systems

Abstract A real-time process management (RTPM) system is equivalent to an automatic control system for running a production plant continuously while maintaining product quality. In pharmacautical manufacturing, such a system provides comprehensive control capabilities in maintaining setpoints, deciding and changing setpoints, and in fault detection, diagnosis, and remediation. As pharmaceutical manufacturing moves towards continuous manufacturing from batch methods, an RTPM system would be a critical component to achieving product quality specifications. In this work, an RTPM system is presented. The RTPM system also makes use of an ontological knowledge management system called TOPS (The Ontologies for Particulate Systems). We show the uses of our TOPS-RTPM integrated system for a pharmaceutical manufacturing pilot plant that makes tablets.