Magnetic marker monitoring
Encyclopedia
Magnetic marker monitoring is a method to monitor the passage of an orally applied drug
(tablet
, capsule, etc.) through the intestinal tract. The dosage form is enriched with a small amount (0.1 – 2 mg) of magnetite
(Fe3O4), which then is magnetized by a high-energy magnetic field. After application the path of the dosage form can be monitored with special detectors, which contain Superconducting Quantum Interference Device
s (SQUIDs). Due to the very low magnetic field of the iron oxide a specially shielded room is necessary in order to eliminate environmental magnetic interference. The method should be able to yield information about why tablets dissolve unequally before or after meals, which may be important for the bioavailability
of drugs.
A more developed method, Advanced Magnetic Marker Monitoring, uses the magnetic capsule, a segmented capsule held together by magnetic forces. The magnetic capsule delivers drugs to any targeted location in the gastrointestinal tract
.
The way the capsule takes is monitored on a PC screen. As soon as the capsule has reached its destination, the magnetic field is destroyed by pressing a button and the drug is released for resorption within milliseconds.
The method is used during development or optimization of drug products and contributes significantly to the reduction in development time and costs.
Areas of use include the determination of resorption windows, early proof of concept
studies, interaction studies, and optimization of pharmaceutical formulations.
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
(tablet
Tablet
A tablet is a pharmaceutical dosage form. It comprises a mixture of active substances and excipients, usually in powder form, pressed or compacted from a powder into a solid dose...
, capsule, etc.) through the intestinal tract. The dosage form is enriched with a small amount (0.1 – 2 mg) of magnetite
Magnetite
Magnetite is a ferrimagnetic mineral with chemical formula Fe3O4, one of several iron oxides and a member of the spinel group. The chemical IUPAC name is iron oxide and the common chemical name is ferrous-ferric oxide. The formula for magnetite may also be written as FeO·Fe2O3, which is one part...
(Fe3O4), which then is magnetized by a high-energy magnetic field. After application the path of the dosage form can be monitored with special detectors, which contain Superconducting Quantum Interference Device
SQUID
A SQUID is a very sensitive magnetometer used to measure extremely weak magnetic fields, based on superconducting loops containing Josephson junctions....
s (SQUIDs). Due to the very low magnetic field of the iron oxide a specially shielded room is necessary in order to eliminate environmental magnetic interference. The method should be able to yield information about why tablets dissolve unequally before or after meals, which may be important for the bioavailability
Bioavailability
In pharmacology, bioavailability is a subcategory of absorption and is used to describe the fraction of an administered dose of unchanged drug that reaches the systemic circulation, one of the principal pharmacokinetic properties of drugs. By definition, when a medication is administered...
of drugs.
A more developed method, Advanced Magnetic Marker Monitoring, uses the magnetic capsule, a segmented capsule held together by magnetic forces. The magnetic capsule delivers drugs to any targeted location in the gastrointestinal tract
Gastrointestinal tract
The human gastrointestinal tract refers to the stomach and intestine, and sometimes to all the structures from the mouth to the anus. ....
.
The way the capsule takes is monitored on a PC screen. As soon as the capsule has reached its destination, the magnetic field is destroyed by pressing a button and the drug is released for resorption within milliseconds.
The method is used during development or optimization of drug products and contributes significantly to the reduction in development time and costs.
Areas of use include the determination of resorption windows, early proof of concept
Proof of concept
A proof of concept or a proof of principle is a realization of a certain method or idea to demonstrate its feasibility, or a demonstration in principle, whose purpose is to verify that some concept or theory that has the potential of being used...
studies, interaction studies, and optimization of pharmaceutical formulations.
External links
- http://www.magnetic-capsule.com
- http://www.magnetic-marker-monitoring.com
- http://www.uni-greifswald.de/~pharma/techno.html