Effect of Dividing Condition on Variation of Weight by Automatic Dividing and Packing Machine

Abstract

It is important that error of dividing weight of powder and/or granule of drugs by fullyautomatic dividing and packing machine is small. Effect of position of the division hole into which drugs begin to flow from feeder and number of total division holes on error of dividing weight was studied. The machine tested was OMP-90A (Tokyo Shokai), and 21g of CF-lactose used as a sample in this study was divided into 21 division holes. Weight of lactose in a packet calculated from that of each packet by total division method coincided with that observed by 21 division method, and coefficient of variation (C.V.) of dividing weight of the former was nearly equal to that of the latter. In the case of over 4 or more return motions of feeder, C.V. of dividing weight was not so much affected by position of the division holes. When powder of digoxin in a packet divided in the above condition was taken, the blood level was calculated from 1-compartment model by computer simulation. Effect of error of dividing weight on blood level of digoxin was small.