Plate Number Requirements for Establishing Method Suitability

• Published in: Journal of chromatographic science Vol. 43; no. 2; pp. 67 - 72
• Main Authors: Webster, Gregory K., Diaz, Angel R., Seibert, Donna S., Weekley, Brian S., Jackson, J. Derek
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Niles, IL Oxford University Press 01.02.2005; Preston Publications
• Subjects: Analysis; Analytical chemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Chemistry; Chromatographic methods and physical methods associated with chromatography; Chromatography - instrumentation; Chromatography - standards; Clinical Laboratory Techniques - standards; Exact sciences and technology; General pharmacology; Medical sciences; Pharmaceutical Preparations - isolation & purification; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Performance evaluation; Validation; Elution; Gradient; Peak resolution; Plate efficiency; HPLC chromatography; Number of theoretical plates; Robustness; Height equivalent to a theoretical plate; Chromatography
• ISSN: 0021-9665; 1945-239X
• DOI: 10.1093/chromsci/43.2.67

Establishing the suitability of an analytical system has become a routine requirement in the testing of modern pharmaceuticals. Acceptable parameters that illustrate the system is performing as intended and in an equivalent manner to the original validation are often set at the time of method validation and transferred with the method to the production laboratory. For chromatographic methods, these parameters include—but are not limited to—resolution, tailing, and plate number specifications. Transferring methods is often a seamless transition from research to quality control. However, far too often the quality group receives arguably “overzealous” and strict requirements for the method. More specifically, chromatographic methods get issued with plate number specifications that far exceed the minimum number required to achieve sufficient resolution of the analytes. Presented here is a discussion of the setting of realistic plate number specifications that still maintain the minimum resolution of the chromatographic critical pair.