Automated Image-Based Color Analysis as an Accessible and Widely Applicable PAT Tool

Pharmaceutical R&D is increasingly employing data-driven
approaches
with specialized process analytical technology (PAT) tools to develop
processes efficiently and reliably. However, some unit operations
are still developed based on human observations, which lack quantification
and objectivity and require personnel attending the experiment. In
this article, we demonstrate the ease of using cameras to provide
data in nearly every unit operation. While applications of basic to
advanced image analysis algorithms have been published, herein we
use a simple color analysis which excels in its broad applicability
without the need for model training. There is currently little literature
on color-based analysis, and the few published papers target only
one specific use. The color analysis was able to provide valuable
information on reaction progress, color removal, level monitoring,
settling times, solubility determination, nucleation detection, filtration
curves, and color of isolated materials without any required tuning
of the analysis. The data from the color analysis often matched or
outperformed the state-of-the-art PAT tools.