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; there is no "contact us for pricing" on any accessory. 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, USP <1> Bloom, 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 and measure the force-displacement response as the probe penetrates or deforms the sample. This covers the highest-volume pharmaceutical tests: tablet diametral breaking force (USP <1217>, EP 2.9.8), gel firmness, TPA analysis, capsule top-loading tests, suppository penetration, and microneedle array compression. Compression probes are typically flat cylindrical, parallel plate, hemispherical, or conical in geometry, with diameter selected according to sample size.
Tension probes grip and pull a sample along a linear axis, measuring force as elongation progresses. This covers transdermal patch 180° and 90° peel (USP <1724>, ASTM D903, ASTM D1876), film tensile strength (ASTM D882), adhesive tack, and gel stringiness. Tension fixtures typically consist of grips, peel jigs, and tack plates, and are matched with film-specific clamping geometries to prevent slip at the sample-grip interface.
Puncture probes apply concentrated force through a small-diameter tip to create a controlled failure in the sample surface. This covers capsule rupture testing, film puncture, packaging foil perforation, blister pack peel initiation, and microneedle individual-needle strength work. Puncture probes are typically 2 mm, 3 mm, or 5 mm spherical or flat-faced in geometry.
Spreadability and extrusion probes characterize the flow behavior of semi-solid formulations. This covers cream and ointment spreadability (USP <1724>), extrusion force from tube or jar, back-extrusion consistency, and gel body resistance. Fixtures include cone-and-plate geometries, cylindrical extrusion cells, and back-extrusion rigs with geometry-matched sample cups.
Each TA-30 method in the pre-loaded 30+ method library specifies exactly which probe geometry and which fixture the test is built for. Selection is not guesswork; it is referenced directly in the method metadata. For a step-by-step framework for choosing probes by dosage form and test objective, see the dedicated probe selection guide.
Solid Dosage Probes (Flat Punches, Curved Punches, Rupture Discs)
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 with standard set) is the primary USP <1217> and EP 2.9.8 tablet diametral compression probe. The 75 mm surface area accommodates most standard tablets up to 25 mm diameter with edge clearance, and the parallel face geometry ensures uniform compressive loading across the tablet axis. This is the single most-used probe in a pharmaceutical QC texture analyzer workflow. See the tablet hardness testing texture analyzer protocol page for the full USP <1217> procedure.
36 mm flat compression disc (included with standard set) serves TPA analysis, gel firmness, and general compression work on small tablets and pellets where the 75 mm plate is oversized. The 36 mm diameter is the pharmaceutical TPA standard for gel, cream, and soft-dosage characterization.
6 mm flat cylindrical probe (included) handles microneedle array compression, capsule top-loading, and general small-sample work.
2 mm spherical probe (included) is the primary capsule rupture and hard-gel puncture tool. The 2 mm geometry concentrates force at a single rupture initiation point, yielding reproducible rupture-force measurements on hard gelatin capsules per the methods referenced in the capsule hardness tester pharmaceutical protocol. For soft gelatin capsule puncture work, a 3 mm or 5 mm spherical probe (optional) is frequently preferred to avoid premature shell tearing.
12.7 mm Bloom plunger (Bloom Pack) executes the classical Bloom strength test per USP <1>, BP, and GB13731 — a 12.7 mm flat-faced cylinder compressing 4°C gelatin to 4 mm depth at 0.5 mm/s, reporting the force required (Bloom value, g).
Curved-face tablet punches (optional) are available for labs validating tablets with unusual geometries where standard flat-plate diametral loading does not represent the real-world failure mode.
Tablet rupture discs (optional) replicate the ring-and-disc geometry used in some compendial tablet disintegration correlation studies. These are sized at 10 mm and 18 mm inner diameters and used with a 6 mm puncture probe.
Film coating adhesion fixtures (optional) include a film scrape probe and a dual-angle film peel jig for evaluating the bond strength between a film coat and the underlying tablet core.
Semi-Solid & Spreadability Probes and Cells
Semi-solids — creams, ointments, gels, hydrogels, lotions, 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 with standard set) measures consistency and yield stress of ointments, creams, and pastes by compressing the probe into a matched 40 mm sample cup and recording the force profile as the sample extrudes around the probe edge.
Cone-and-plate fixture (optional) measures spreadability of gels, creams, and lotions using the classical parallel-plate geometry with a matched conical counter-face. This is the primary USP <1724> spreadability fixture and is the reference setup for the protocols described on the gel spreadability testing application page.
Extrusion cell (optional) measures extrusion force from a tube or cartridge with matched nozzle diameters from 3 mm to 10 mm. This simulates patient-application force and is a common R&D characterization tool for topical formulations.
Suppository penetration probe (optional) is a 4 mm or 6 mm diameter cylindrical probe sized for standard suppository body penetration force measurement.
Mucoadhesion tissue holder (optional) accommodates biological tissue samples for bioadhesion and mucoadhesion characterization. The holder pairs with a 10 mm flat compression probe for adhesion-peel measurement on hydrogel-tissue interfaces.
BP alginate raft cell (optional) is the dedicated fixture for BP alginate raft strength testing (Reckitt Benckiser Gaviscon and equivalents), pairing a raft cell geometry with a matched wire-mesh cutting probe.
Hydrogel bioadhesion probes (optional) extend the mucoadhesion tissue holder with specific geometries for wound-dressing and hydrogel-patch testing.
Injectable & Transdermal Fixtures (Syringe Rig, Needle Holder)
Injectable and transdermal testing have become 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 TA-30 catalog covers both application areas with dedicated packs.
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 measuring spring activation force, 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 glide-force measurement is especially sensitive to the 0.01N force resolution of the TA-30, because the break-loose event on a pre-filled syringe plunger can be under 1N on low-friction formulations.
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 180° peel jig (also included in the standard set), a tack test plate, and pre-loaded methods for peel adhesion, peel work, tack, and tack-decay. The Peltier plate is particularly important for patches and adhesive films because adhesive properties at 20°C ambient can differ substantially from adhesive properties at skin temperature, and USP <1724> explicitly specifies 32°C for relevant methods.
Needle holder with tissue-simulant adapters quantifies needle insertion force into tissue-simulant polymer gels calibrated to human-skin insertion force profiles. This is widely used for microneedle delivery-system development and for auto-injector needle-path validation.
Auto-injector activation fixture mounts a complete auto-injector device and measures the activation force required to trigger the firing mechanism — a safety-critical specification for human-factors engineering and device-release QC.
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. The 30+ method library in the KHT Texture Suite organizes methods by dosage form, so starting from the dosage form gives you the recommended probe and fixture directly.
Step 2 — identify the test objective. A tablet can be tested for breaking force (USP <1217>, 75 mm parallel plate), friability correlation (compression with target-force threshold), or film coating adhesion (specialized scrape probe). A gel can be tested for firmness (compression with cylindrical probe), spreadability (cone-and-plate), or bioadhesion (mucoadhesion holder). The test objective determines the probe within the dosage form.
Step 3 — identify the applicable standard. USP <1217>, EP 2.9.8, JP 6.09, USP <1724>, ASTM D903, ISO 7886, ISO 11608, BP alginate raft — each standard specifies probe geometry either directly or by reference to a validated method. When you run a compendial test, the standard dictates the probe.
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; for heavier implant or device work (>500N), the optional 5,000N load cell extends the range. Load cell swaps on the TA-30 are a two-minute procedure with automatic software recognition.
For additional step-by-step guidance with dosage-form-specific walkthroughs and method-to-probe mapping examples, see the full probe selection guide. To see how probes integrate into the full TA-30 configuration, see the texture analyzer for pharmaceutical product page.
Request a Quote for the KHT TA-30
Every KHT TA-30 ships with the standard probe set covering USP <1217>, USP <1724>, ASTM D903, and general pharmaceutical compression and puncture work. Optional Injection, Transdermal, Packaging, and Bloom Packs extend coverage into ISO 11608 syringe testing, USP <661> packaging, BP alginate raft, and gelatin Bloom strength. All accessory pricing is published transparently. Configured quotes return within 24 hours and include the complete IQ/OQ/PQ validation package and 2-year warranty coverage. Contact KHT Instrument to configure your system.