Patent ID: 7634390

Claim:
A method for simulating a pan coating process to estimate at least one of tablet coating uniformity or coated tablet weight uniformity for a plurality of tablets, the pan coating process cycling the plurality of tablets within a tablet bed In a pan, the method comprising the steps of: (i) obtaining a plurality of parameters associated with the pan coating process, the plurality of parameters including a tablet path distribution corresponding to the tablet bed in the pan; (ii) randomly selecting, via a Monte Carlo simulation method, a tablet path for each cycle of a simulation tablet within the tablet bed; (iii) calculating a coating amount for at least one cycle of the simulation tablet based on the selected tablet path; and (iv) summing the calculated coating amounts for the at least one cycle of the simulation tablet: to produce a tablet coating weight; (v) repeating steps (ii)-(iv) for each of a defined number Of simulation tablets representing the plurality of tablets; (vi) determining at least one of tablet coating uniformity or coated tablet weight uniformity for the plurality of tablets based at least in part on the tablet coating weight for each of the simulation tablets; and (vii) setting operating conditions of pan coating equipment based on the plurality of parameters and at least one of the determined tablet coating uniformity or the determined coated tablet weight uniformity for the plurality of tablets; wherein the pan has a shape including at least one cylindrical portion and at least one non-cylindrical portion and the tablet bed has an associated shape corresponding to the shape of the pan and wherein the tablet path distribution is a volume based distribution corresponding to the associated shape of the tablet bed.