Dry coating is an innovative technique in which nano particles are mechanically coated onto the surface of larger (from a micron to few microns) host particles to impart useful properties to the final product, which are engineered particles. Dry coated engineered particles can have improved flow and handling properties, and hence are very useful for a number of industrial applications. In this paper, we present preparation, characterization and applications of such engineered particles to pharmaceutical applications.

Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT) was used as a tool to determine the differences in mobility of powders with no additive compared to powders that had been coated with a specific level of additive using the Magnetically Assisted Impaction Coater . PEPT is a tool derived from the positron emission tomography (PET) nuclear technology used in medical imaging. Instead of imaging as with PET, PEPT uses the same triangulation principle to track a positron emitting tracer particle. The triangulation principle works using the pairs of gamma rays emitted from the particle to track the exact location of the particle at that time. Previous results indicate that increasing the level of additive caused an increase in the flowability and mobility of the powder. PEPT was used as a tool to quantify the increase in mobility of the powder.