Tablet extraction and analysis system and method

A tablet extraction system comprising

• an impeller having a rotary axis and including a rigid finger which is spaced from and extends in the general direction of said axis, said finger having a radially outer surface and a leading face which extends from said radially outer surface toward said axis;
• means for rotating the impeller about said axis so that said finger sweeps out a toroidal envelope;
• a housing enclosing said impeller, said housing having a first wall which extends generally parallel to said axis and a second wall which extends generally perpendicular to said axis opposite said finger, said first and second walls defining a chamber which encloses said impeller;
• means defining a knife edge in said chamber, said knife edge extending generally parallel to said axis and being located only slightly radially outward from said toroidal envelope;
• means defining a first opening in the housing first wall, and
• means defining a second opening in the housing second wall.

The method of extracting a tablet comprising the steps of

• immersing a tablet in a liquid diluent;
• inserting into the diluent a probe having an interior cavity, bottom and side openings leading into the cavity and an impeller in the cavity which can be rotated about an axis that is aligned with the bottom opening;
• rotating the impeller about said axis to draw the diluent and tablet into the cavity through the bottom opening and to spin the tablet around said axis;
• impacting the spinning tablet against a knife edge in the cavity to break up the tablet into smaller particles which may be ejected from the cavity through the side opening;
• continuing the rotation of the impeller to recirculate the diluent and tablet particles through the cavity and impact the particles against the knife edge so that the particles are broken up into progressively smaller particles that dissolve in the recirculating diluent until the tablet is completely extracted.