Optics: measuring and testing – By dispersed light spectroscopy – With sample excitation
Patent
1986-05-16
1988-05-24
McGraw, Vincent P.
Optics: measuring and testing
By dispersed light spectroscopy
With sample excitation
354 3, 354354, G01N 2168, G01N 2169, G03B 4100
Patent
active
047462132
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a process and an apparatus for the testing of liquid drugs, in particular also homeopathic preparations.
Drugs may be tested conventionally by chemical, chromatographic or spectrographic processes and by tests on living organisms. It is also possible to investigate drugs by simple testing with sensory organs with respect to trubidity, olfactory changes or the like.
It is common to all of the conventional processes that they are either highly inaccurate or providing little information. It is therefore necessary in most cases to rely on the fact that a solution of drug remains usable for a certain period of time, if certain storage rules are observed, in particular with respect to temperature and light effects. This period of time within which a drug may be used, must as a precautionary measure be relatively short, in order to maintain an adequate degree of safety. If damage to a drug occurred at an unusually early point in time, for example as the result of unnoticed external effects, or if a drug has undergone changes during or shortly after its preparation, this may be determined only with very expensive investigating methods, which in most cases can be performed in the manufacturing plant only, or not at all.
It is therefore the object of the ivention to provide a process for the testing of liquid drugs that may be carried out in a very simple manner and is applicable to highly different drugs and which makes it possible to clearly detect even slight deviations from comparative samples, so that both in the case of freshly prepared drugs and with drugs that have been stored for longer periods of time, rapid and comprehensive testing is possible, said process being capable of detecting changes which may be ascertained with conventional testing methods at great expense only or not at all.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object is attained according to the invention by triggering an electric corona discharge in an approximately wedge-shaped layer of the liquid drug, optically recording the discharge and evaluating it.
It has been discovered surprisingly that in the image of such a corona discharge even slight changes in the drug, for example in relation to the concentration of the solution or an aging process, may be observed very clearly. The process further demonstrates changes which affects the activity of the drug but cannot be detected by other chemical or physical processes without ambiguity, so that biological test methods, such as experiments on animals or cell cultures may be omitted.
It has been found appropriate to conduct the testing process both with respect to the experimental method and the evaluability and comparability of the images obtained, in a manner such that the corona discharge takes place between a convex electrode surface and the surface of a dielectric material. The gap, which is wedge-shaped in its cross-section, extends annularly around the apex of the curved electrode surface.
Optical recording is carried out conveniently by photographic means, but electronic image storage and electronic image scanning are also possible, for example by means of a laser beam.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the liquid drug is applied to the surface of a photographic layer directly, or with the interposition of a glass object carrier, and a convex electrode is pressed onto the photographic layer or the glass object carrier with a predetermined force. By this method in the photographic layer, which may be applied to a photographic film or photographic plate, a particularly sharp image of the corona discharge phenomena may be obtained, especially if the drug is placed onto the photographic layer.
The invention further relates to an apparatus for the carrying out of the process. This apparatus is characterized in that a flat electrode connected with a high frequency generator is placed onto the reverse side of an insulating plate and that a displaceable electrode provided with a convex contact surface may be pressed agains
REFERENCES:
patent: 2920201 (1960-01-01), Annis et al.
patent: 4195641 (1980-04-01), Joines et al.
Elektor, vol. 3, No. 10, Oct. 1977, "Kirlian Photography", pp. 10-05 to 10-08.
Boyers et al., "Corona Discharge Photography", Jour. of Applied Physics, vol. 44, No. 7, Jul. 1973, pp. 3102-3112.
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