By IONTOF GmbH
The example below shows mass resolved secondary ion images from a tablet cross section. This technique can be used to determine the distribution of the different ingredients, including the drug itself, within the tablet. The asthma drug Salbutamol is commercially produced as a coating on micron-sized sugar beads and packed in an aerosol container. A large area of many beads was imaged using Bi 3++ (illustrated on the left) and the image of one bead was enlarged (right). The distribution of the molecular ion of Salbutamol, mass 240 u, on the bead surface is clearly visible.
