# Nondestructive Measurement Technique for Substandard Amoxicillin Based on Thermal Approach

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a fast, nondestructive thermal method to detect substandard amoxicillin, offering a quick and cost-effective alternative to traditional testing.

## Contribution

A novel thermal-based nondestructive technique for rapid and accurate detection of substandard amoxicillin is proposed.

## Key findings

- The method achieved a coefficient of determination (R2) exceeding 0.99 with high percent recoveries (98.70–103.40%).
- The limit of detection and quantitation were 28.11 and 85.17 mg/L, respectively.
- The technique was validated by independent testing at two institutions, confirming its effectiveness and robustness.

## Abstract

In this study, we
introduce a new nondestructive measurement
technique
based on a thermal approach for the determination of substandard amoxicillin.
The quality control of amoxicillin is critical for patient safety,
and one of the essential parameters for its evaluation is the content
of the active ingredient. Traditional methods for assessing amoxicillin
content are defined by their time-consuming nature, reliance on skilled
personnel, and frequent necessity for specific reagents. The proposed
device aims to provide a rapid and low-cost alternative that can accurately
measure the amoxicillin content without damaging the sample. The method
validation results indicate coefficient of determination (R2) exceeding 0.99, with percent recoveries falling
within the range of 98.70–103.40%. The calculated values for
limit of detection and limit of quantitation were determined to be
28.11 and 85.17 mg/L, respectively. Our experiments employed amoxicillin
samples with predetermined concentrations, all of which were below
the standard quality. It was observed that the proposed analytical
device effectively quantifies the amoxicillin content in aqueous solutions.
Each measurement took no more than 10 min, underscoring the efficiency
of the analysis process. The experiments were validated through independent
testing at the Government Pharmaceutical Organization in Thailand
and the department of engineering science in Oxford, which provides
strong evidence for the effectiveness and robustness of the technique.
Overall, this study demonstrates the feasibility of using a thermal
approach for the nondestructive measurement of substandard amoxicillin.