Detection systems and methods for predicting the dissolution curve of a drug from a pharmaceutical dosage form

An apparatus for determining a dissolution profile of a pharmaceutical dosage form containing a releasable quantity of a therapeutically active agent wherein the dosage form is immersed in a dissolution medium contained in a vessel, comprising:

• a plurality of vessels for immersing a plurality of pharmaceutical dosage forms in a plurality of dissolution mediums;
• a plurality of fiber optic probes, each fiber optic probe disposed within a respective one of the vessels and immersed in the dissolution medium contained in the respective one of the vessels;
• a processor coupled to the fiber optic probe, the processor including a computer coupled to a plurality of UV spectrometers, each fiber optic probe being coupled to a respective one of the TV spectrometers, the processor continuously receiving information from each fiber optic probe as the dissolution of each dosage form in its respective dissolution medium proceeds, the processor analyzing the information and continuously generating a dissolution profile of each dosage form as the dissolution of the dosage form in its respective dissolution medium proceeds.