Terahertz spectroscopy for predicting stability of amorphous drugs

An apparatus for characterizing an amorphous material, comprising:

• a spectrometer for measuring an interaction of the amorphous material with electromagnetic (EM) radiation at an energy corresponding to EM radiation of frequency between 10 GHz and 10 THz;
• and
• a processor for evaluating a rate of change of the interaction with temperature, in a temperature range below a glass transition temperature, Tg, of the amorphous material, and for comparing the rate of change with a predetermined value.

A method for characterizing an amorphous material, comprising the steps of:

• evaluating first and second values of a rate of change with temperature of an interaction of the amorphous material with electromagnetic (EM) radiation, at an energy corresponding to EM radiation of frequency between 10 GHz and 10 THz, in respective first and second temperature ranges, the first temperature range being between a glass-transition temperature, Tg, of the amorphous material and a transition temperature below Tg, and the second temperature range being below the transition temperature;
• and
• evaluating a difference between the first and second rate of change values.

21-48. (canceled)