DETECTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF DEFECTS IN PHARMACEUTICAL CYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS

1 . An apparatus for inspecting a pharmaceutical cylindrical container made of glass or polymer, comprising:

a support device configured to support the pharmaceutical cylindrical container and rotate the cylindrical pharmaceutical container around a longitudinal axis;

a light emitting unit comprising a light source configured to illuminate the pharmaceutical cylindrical container with a detection beam while the support device rotates the pharmaceutical cylindrical container; and

a light receiving unit comprising a camera that acquires polarization information of the detection beam.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light source is a source selected from a group consisting of a gas-discharge lamp, a light-emitting diode, a laser, and any combination thereof.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a polarizer selected from a group consisting of a Fresnel reflection polarizer, a birefringent polarizer, a thin film polarizer, and a wire-grid polarizer, wherein the polarizer is arranged between the light source and the pharmaceutical cylindrical container.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the light emitting unit and/or the light receiving unit comprise the polarizer.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a depolarizer selected from a group consisting of a Cornu depolarizer, a Lyot depolarizer, a wedge depolarizer, and a time-variable depolarizer, wherein the depolarizer is arranged between the light source and the pharmaceutical cylindrical container.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the light emitting unit and/or the light receiving unit comprise the depolarizer.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a wave plate selected from a group consisting of a half-wave plate, a quarter-wave plate, full-wave plate, and sensitive-tint plate, wherein the wave plate is arranged between the light source and the pharmaceutical cylindrical container.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the light emitting unit and/or the light receiving unit comprise the wave plate.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light receiving unit is configured to measure a first linear polarized light beam and a second linear polarized light beam, wherein the first linear polarized light beam has a first plane of polarization and the second linear polarized light beam has a second plane of polarization, wherein the first and second planes intersect at an angle in a range selected from a group consisting of 10 to 170°, 90°, and 45°.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light receiving unit acquires information of the detection beam other than the polarization information.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light receiving unit measures an intensity and/or a wavelength of the detection beam.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting unit and/or the light receiving unit are arranged such that light reflected by the pharmaceutical cylindrical container defines the detection beam.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting unit and/or the light receiving unit are arranged such that light transmitted through the pharmaceutical cylindrical container defines the detection beam.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting unit and/or the light receiving unit are arranged such that α=β=arctan (n),

wherein α is an angle between a centerline of the light source and a normal N of a lateral surface of the pharmaceutical cylindrical container,

wherein β is a angle between a centerline of the camera and the normal N of the lateral surface, and

wherein n is a refractive index of the glass or polymer of the pharmaceutical cylindrical container.

15 . A bundle of pharmaceutical cylindrical container made of glass or polymer, comprising:

ten or more pharmaceutical cylindrical containers, wherein each of the ten or more pharmaceutical cylindrical containers exhibits:

no defect on an outer surface having a size selected from a group consisting of 40 mm or more, 30 mm or more, 20 mm or more, 10 mm or more, and 2 mm or more, and/or

no wall penetrating defect having a size selected from a group consisting of 0.5 mm or more, 0.3 mm or more, 0.1 mm or more, and 0.05 mm or more.

16 . The bundle of claim 15 , wherein the ten or more pharmaceutical cylindrical containers are made of a material selected from a group consisting of borosilicate glass, aluminosilicate glass, cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), cyclic olefin polymer (COP), borosilicate glass, cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), and cyclic olefin copolymer (COC).

17 . The bundle of claim 15 , wherein the ten or more pharmaceutical cylindrical containers comprise up to 1000 containers.

18 . The bundle of claim 15 , wherein the ten or more pharmaceutical cylindrical containers are encased in a wrapping and are sterilized.

19 . A method for inspecting a pharmaceutical cylindrical container made of glass or polymer, comprising:

illuminating the pharmaceutical cylindrical container with an inspection beam;

receiving at least one detection beam from the pharmaceutical cylindrical container with a light receiving unit; and

acquiring polarization information of the detection beam.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising disregarding, based on the polarization information, any pharmaceutical cylindrical container exhibiting:

a defect on an outer surface having a size selected from a group consisting of 40 mm or more, 30 mm or more, 20 mm or more, 10 mm or more, and 2 mm or more, and/or

a wall penetrating defect having a size selected from a group consisting of 0.5 mm or more, 0.3 mm or more, 0.1 mm or more, and 0.05 mm or more.