Which instrument is used to measure the dissolution rate of a drug?

Which instrument is used to measure the dissolution rate of a drug?

• A. Analytical balance
• B. Brookfield viscometer
• C. Polarimeter
• D. Dissolution tester

Answer: (D)

Measuring how fast a drug dissolves in a liquid under controlled conditions is the goal. A dissolution tester is built for this purpose, using standardized setups (like paddle or basket) and a controlled temperature in a dissolution medium. By taking samples at set times and analyzing how much drug is present in those samples, you get a dissolution rate and a full dissolution profile over time. This device directly tracks how quickly the solid form disappears into solution, which is central to understanding a drug’s in vivo availability and release characteristics. An analytical balance, on the other hand, is used for precisely weighing items, not for monitoring how a substance dissolves in a liquid. A Brookfield viscometer measures the viscosity of fluids, not the rate at which solids dissolve. A polarimeter gauges optical rotation to assess concentration or purity of chiral substances, not dissolution behavior. So the instrument designed to measure how fast a drug dissolves is the dissolution tester.

Measuring how fast a drug dissolves in a liquid under controlled conditions is the goal. A dissolution tester is built for this purpose, using standardized setups (like paddle or basket) and a controlled temperature in a dissolution medium. By taking samples at set times and analyzing how much drug is present in those samples, you get a dissolution rate and a full dissolution profile over time. This device directly tracks how quickly the solid form disappears into solution, which is central to understanding a drug’s in vivo availability and release characteristics.

An analytical balance, on the other hand, is used for precisely weighing items, not for monitoring how a substance dissolves in a liquid. A Brookfield viscometer measures the viscosity of fluids, not the rate at which solids dissolve. A polarimeter gauges optical rotation to assess concentration or purity of chiral substances, not dissolution behavior. So the instrument designed to measure how fast a drug dissolves is the dissolution tester.