Quantum Design has been featured in this month’s Irish Manufacturing Magazine. The article, titled “Advanced Characterisation Tools Supporting Ireland’s Evolving Pharmaceutical Sector” includes latest publications from Quantum Design Microscopy’s award-winning FusionScope™ (the correlative AFM and SEM microscopy platform).
Correlative Microscopy for Pharmaceutical Surface Analysis
Another emerging technique in pharmaceutical materials characterisation is correlative microscopy, which combines Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in a single system. This integrated approach enables simultaneous analysis of surface topography and high-resolution imaging — a powerful combination for examining pharmaceutical samples.
The FusionScope, available via QD-UKI, is a system that merges these two imaging modes to offer a detailed view of pharmaceutical materials (more information here). Its applications in pharmaceutical research include:
- Tablet Coating Analysis: Assessing coating thickness, surface defects, and roughness to evaluate uniformity and potential for cracking or delamination.
- Crystallisation Studies: Monitoring the formation and morphology of polymorphic structures, which can influence drug solubility and bioavailability.
- Excipient-API Interactions: Investigating how excipients and active ingredients are distributed and bonded at the surface level, which affects formulation performance.
- Particle Surface Texture: Characterising granules or microparticles used in inhalable or injectable drugs, where surface area and texture impact absorption and stability.
AFM provides nanometre-resolution height maps and mechanical properties such as stiffness and adhesion, while SEM offers detailed morphological context. Used together, they provide a more comprehensive understanding of pharmaceutical material behaviour than either technique alone.
Plus a recent case study featured by Quantum Design, explores the surface-sensitive characterisation of ALD films on pharmaceutical powders (read the full article here).
Tools Supporting Research and Quality in Pharma
While these technologies are often associated with academic materials science, their relevance to the pharmaceutical industry is growing. As drug delivery systems become more complex and regulatory requirements more stringent, the ability to characterise surfaces at the micro- and nanoscale is increasingly essential.
Researchers in Ireland are applying these techniques in both early-stage drug development and in manufacturing environments to improve process understanding, product consistency, and regulatory compliance. Characterisation tools like XPS, ToF-SIMS, and correlative AFM/SEM help to answer key questions about formulation behaviour, surface interactions, and stability — all critical to developing effective and reliable pharmaceutical products.
As Ireland continues to invest in advanced manufacturing, nanomedicine, and biopharma, the integration of surface-sensitive characterisation methods will likely play an expanding role in both research and industrial settings.
