Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to visualise tablet disintegration and dissolution in the fed stomach

Motivation: Tablets are the most common formulations for oral drug delivery, however the processes of tablet disintegration and dissolution in the human stomach, in vivo, are difficult to study, particularly in the fed stomach. Goal(s): Our goal is to use MRI to visualise tablet disintegration and dissolution in the fed stomach. Approach: Various tests were performed to image tablets in the fed stomach. These were manufactured with added manganese gluconate to improve MRI visibility. Results: The use of manganese added to tablets enhanced their MRI visibility in the fed stomach. Disintegration and dissolution of the tablets was observed. Impact: MRI can provide insight into tablet disintegration and dissolution in the fed stomach. This has the potential to benefit drug development, by improving correlation between in vitro measurements and in vivo and informing in-silico modelling.