Step 5 · Package & deliver
FagronLab™ BLIST-Rx™
Thermo-sealing blister packaging
The FagronLab™ BLIST-Rx™ is a thermo-sealing device developed for individually packing capsules and tablets in blister trays, protecting the compounded preparation from air, humidity and contamination until administration. At its default parameters (148 °C ± 5 °C and 2000 ms) it seals trays built from an aluminum lid with an aluminum or plastic body, and both temperature and time can be adjusted as needed.
How it is used
- Final packaging step for capsules and tablets, after filling and closing.
- Load the dosage forms into a BLIST-Rx™ tray, place the tray in the matching stainless-steel holder, and seal for a few seconds.
- Validated for hard and soft capsules and for uncoated, film-coated and sugar-coated tablets.
- Match tray and holder size to the capsule or tablet so the dosage form never touches the welding plate.
- Intended for substances with a decomposition temperature above 120 °C — check the SDS or pharmacopeia before sealing.
Advantages
- Suitable for sealing a wide range of blister trays
- Automatic temperature stabilizer prevents overheating
- Suitable with all capsule sizes
- Convenient tablet sizes: Ø 8 mm and 13 mm
- Precise time settings between 100 – 25,500 ms in 1 ms increments
- Temperature settings between 100 – 170 °C
- Up to 15 capsules and 20 tablets per seal
- Low power consumption (250 W)
- User-friendly and quick operation
Operating parameters
Source: FagronLab™ Formulation Guide. Always follow the parameters for your jar size and API concentration.
Packaging comparison
Standard glass and HDPE bottles compared with the FagronLab™ BLIST-Rx™ tray.
| Parameter | 200 mL HDPE bottle | 200 mL glass bottle | BLIST-Rx™ tray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | Approx. 28 g | Approx. 200 g | 2.9 g |
| Contamination risk | High | High | Low |
| Breakage risk | Medium | High | Low |
| Compounding quality | Decreases after opening | Decreases after opening | Protected |
| Air contact | High after opening | High after opening | Low |
| Dose tracking | Not possible | Not possible | Possible |
| Tamper evidence | Not available after opening | Not available after opening | Available |
BLIST-Rx™ holders and matching trays
Seven stainless-steel holders cover tablets (Ø 8 – 13 mm) and capsules (000 – 4).
| Holder | Capacity | Suitable tray |
|---|---|---|
| BLIST-Rx™ holder 15 00-0 A | 15 capsules | Tray 15 00-0 A — size 00-0 |
| BLIST-Rx™ holder 15 3-4 B | 15 capsules | Tray 15 3-4 B — size 3-4 |
| BLIST-Rx™ holder 10 000-00 C | 10 capsules | Tray 10 000-00 C — size 000-00 |
| BLIST-Rx™ holder 20 Ø8 D | 20 tablets | Tray 20 Ø8 D — size Ø8 mm |
| BLIST-Rx™ holder 12 Ø13 E | 12 tablets | Tray 12 Ø13 E — size Ø13 mm |
| BLIST-Rx™ holder 15 0-1-2 F | 15 capsules | Tray 15 0-1-2 F — size 0-1-2 |
| BLIST-Rx™ holder 10 0-1-2-3-4 G | 10 capsules | Tray 10 0-1-2-3-4 G — size 0-1-2-3-4 |
Decomposition temperatures of common oral-dosage substances
The tray cavity does not exceed 120 °C at default settings. Verify each API against its SDS or pharmacopeia.
| Substance | Function | Decomposition temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Caffeine | API | 178 – 200 °C |
| Calcium carbonate | Diluent, bulking agent, opacifier, API | > 750 °C |
| Dextrin | Diluent, binder, plasticizer | 178 °C |
| Fructose | Diluent, flavor | 102 – 105 °C |
| Mannitol | Diluent, flavor | 140 – 220 °C |
| Sodium bicarbonate | Disintegrant, API | 270 °C |
| Sucrose | Binder, flavor | 160 – 186 °C |
| Talc | Diluent, lubricant, adsorbent, dissolution retardant | 800 °C |
| Vanillin | Flavor | 284 – 285 °C |
What it delivers
Tamper evidence
Trays are sealed so the contents cannot be reached without destroying the lid, meeting WHO-suggested and FDA-regulated tamper-evident requirements.
Stability protection
Rigid PVC has a low water-vapor transmission rate and each dose sits in its own cavity, so oxidative radicals cannot spread between units.
Patient compliance
Unit-dose separation makes it obvious at a glance whether a dose has been taken, improving adherence to personalized regimens.
Lower environmental impact
Sealing PVC trays instead of aluminum cuts lifecycle energy use by up to 63%, global warming potential by up to 70% and water depletion by more than 80%.
Why blister packaging
Blister trays are push-through packaging that lets patients press a tablet or capsule through the foil, simplifying dose administration. An estimated 85% of oral-solid medications in Europe are delivered this way.
Sealing each dose separately limits contact with air, humidity and environmental hazards, prevents oxidative radicals spreading between units, and removes the breakage risk associated with glass bottles during transport.
The BLIST-Rx™ tray
The tray is a partially pre-welded blister pack made from a thermoformed rigid PVC body and a hard-tempered aluminum lid, giving high chemical resistance, flexural strength and a low water-vapor transmission rate.
It contains 84% less aluminum than conventional trays, weighs 0.3 g, supports dose tracking and optional printed personalization, and complies with cGMP, Ph. Eur., USP, JP and FDA quality standards.
The BLIST-Rx™ holder
The stainless-steel holder carries the loaded tray while the hot welding plate inside the device performs the seal. It resists scratches and high temperatures, conducts heat well for quick warm-up and cool-down, and is dishwasher safe.
Seven holder types are available, each matched to a specific tray so that capsules from size 000 to 4 and tablets of Ø 8 mm and Ø 13 mm all sit correctly in their cavities.
Specifications
- Default sealing parameters
- 148 °C ± 5 °C, 2000 ms
- Temperature range
- 100 – 170 °C, automatic temperature stabilizer
- Time range
- 100 – 25,500 ms in 1 ms increments
- Capacity per cycle
- Up to 15 capsules or 20 tablets
- Capsule sizes
- All sizes (000 – 4)
- Tablet sizes
- Ø 8 mm and Ø 13 mm
- Power consumption
- 250 W
- Tray materials
- Aluminum lid with aluminum or rigid PVC body
Questions about equipment?
Contact your Fagron Equipment Representative, Nicholas Fournarakis
Nicholas can help with pricing, demos, installation, training and service for any FagronLab™ instrument or workflow.
Nicholas.Fournarakis@fagron.usContact Fagron
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