Manufacturer Identification and Active Ingredient Determination of Medicinal Products by Smartphone-Based Near-IR Colorimetry

A nondestructive method for the analysis of pharmaceuticals (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, fluoroquinolones, acetylsalicylic acid, vinpocetine, tetracyclines) via IR diffuse reflection recorded using a smartphone and a 3D-printed device is proposed. Diffuse reflection of IR radiation (850 nm) from tablet medications can be captured using a smartphone camera. Blister packaging and tablet coatings slightly decrease the intensity of the reflection signal at a wavelength of 850 nm, as confirmed by a comparative analysis of colorimetric measurements of the pharmaceutical samples inside packaging, outside packaging, and fractured tablets. A correlation between the analytical signal and the concentration of the active substance is observed regardless of the study of the tablet. The dataset was processed using principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), partial least squares regression (PLS), and the least squares method using the PhotoMetrix PRO® smartphone software. These algorithms can be used to identify medications by their manufacturer and determine the concentration of active substances. Colorimetric signals from tablets of the same manufacturer form distinct clusters in the dendrograms created using the HCA algorithm. The PCA data indicate the arrangement of signals from tablets of different manufacturers in separate quadrants, facilitating the identification of the pharmaceutical companies. The use of chemometric analysis for determining the concentration of the active substance is also considered.