Pharmaceutical Texture Analyzer Probes & Accessories — Complete Selection Guide

The KHT TA-30 pharmaceutical texture analyzer probes and accessories catalog covers every standard pharma dosage form from solid oral tablets through microneedle arrays and transdermal patches. The platform uses a universal M6 threaded probe mount with a quick-change collar, which means any standard metric-threaded probe — whether from KHT, a third-party supplier, or a legacy SMS tooling library — can be mounted directly without adapters.

Every probe in this catalog is priced transparently. The standard probe set ships with every TA-30 at no additional cost and covers USP <1217> tablet hardness, USP <1724> semi-solid, ASTM D903 peel, and general compression and puncture work on day one.

Probe Categories: Compression, Tension, Puncture & Spreadability

Pharmaceutical texture testing divides into four primary mechanical modes, and the TA-30 catalog organizes probes by those modes.

Compression probes apply force perpendicular to the sample surface — covering tablet diametral breaking force, gel firmness, TPA analysis, and microneedle array compression. Tension probes grip and pull for transdermal patch peel, film tensile strength, and adhesive tack. Puncture probes apply concentrated force through a small tip for capsule rupture, film perforation, and blister pack initiation. Spreadability and extrusion probes characterize the flow behavior of semi-solid formulations including creams, ointments, and gels.

Each TA-30 method in the pre-loaded 30+ method library specifies exactly which probe geometry and fixture the test is built for. Selection is not guesswork; it is referenced directly in the method metadata.

Solid Dosage Probes (Included & Optional)

Solid oral dosage forms — tablets, capsules, pellets, granules, film-coated tablets — are the highest-volume pharmaceutical testing category. The TA-30 catalog covers this segment with a comprehensive probe set.

• 75 mm parallel plate (included) — primary USP <1217> and EP 2.9.8 tablet diametral compression probe; accommodates tablets up to 25 mm diameter
• 36 mm flat compression disc (included) — TPA analysis, gel firmness, and compression work on small tablets and pellets
• 6 mm flat cylindrical probe (included) — microneedle array compression, capsule top-loading, and general small-sample work
• 2 mm spherical probe (included) — primary capsule rupture and hard-gel puncture tool for reproducible peak-force measurement
• 12.7 mm Bloom plunger (Bloom Pack) — Bloom strength test per USP <1>, BP, and GB13731
• Curved-face tablet punches (optional) — for tablets with unusual geometries where flat-plate loading is not representative
• Tablet rupture discs (optional) — 10 mm and 18 mm inner diameters for compendial disintegration correlation studies
• Film coating adhesion fixtures (optional) — film scrape probe and dual-angle peel jig for coat-to-core bond strength evaluation

Semi-Solid & Spreadability Probes and Cells

Semi-solids — creams, ointments, gels, hydrogels, pastes, suppositories — require fixtures that handle the flow behavior of non-Newtonian materials. The TA-30 catalog covers this segment end-to-end.

• 25 mm back-extrusion rig (included) — consistency and yield stress of ointments and creams via compression into a matched 40 mm sample cup
• Cone-and-plate fixture (optional) — primary USP <1724> spreadability fixture for gels, creams, and lotions
• Extrusion cell (optional) — extrusion force from tube or cartridge, nozzle diameters 3–10 mm for topical formulations
• Suppository penetration probe (optional) — 4 mm or 6 mm cylindrical probe for standard suppository body penetration force
• Mucoadhesion tissue holder (optional) — accommodates biological tissue for bioadhesion and mucoadhesion characterization
• BP alginate raft cell (optional) — dedicated fixture for BP alginate raft strength testing paired with a wire-mesh cutting probe
• Hydrogel bioadhesion probes (optional) — specific geometries for wound-dressing and hydrogel-patch testing

Injectable & Transdermal Fixtures

Injectable and transdermal testing is one of the fastest-growing pharmaceutical texture testing segments as biologics, long-acting injectables, auto-injectors, and patch-based delivery systems move through pharma pipelines.

The Injection Pack includes a syringe plunger glide-force rig compatible with 1 mL, 3 mL, and 5 mL pre-filled syringes per ISO 7886 and ISO 11608, an auto-injector activation fixture, a needle insertion force holder with tissue-simulant adapters, and pre-loaded methods for glide force, break-loose force, activation energy, and needle insertion force.

The Transdermal Pack includes a Peltier-controlled temperature plate calibrated for 32°C skin-surface simulation (USP <1724> requirement), a 90° peel fixture with pneumatic clamping, a tack test plate, and pre-loaded methods for peel adhesion, peel work, and tack. The Peltier plate is critical because adhesive properties at 20°C ambient can differ substantially from those at skin temperature.

How to Select the Right Probe for Your Application

Probe selection for pharmaceutical texture testing follows four decision criteria: dosage form, test objective, applicable standard, and expected force range.

Step 1: identify the dosage form — tablets, capsules, gels, ointments, patches, syringes, and packaging each map to a primary probe set. Step 2: identify the test objective — a tablet can be tested for breaking force (75 mm plate), friability correlation (36 mm disc), or film coating adhesion (scrape probe). Step 3: identify the applicable standard — USP <1217>, EP 2.9.8, USP <1724>, ASTM D903, ISO 7886, ISO 11608 each specify probe geometry directly. Step 4: confirm force range matches load cell.

The standard 500N load cell covers 5–300N tablet hardness, 5–50N capsule burst, 1–20N ointment spreadability, 20–500N packaging, and 5–500N peel work. For microneedle work (0.4–8N), a 50N load cell gives higher effective resolution. Load cell swaps on the TA-30 are a two-minute procedure with automatic software recognition.