Near-infrared spectroscopy and imaging: basic principles and pharmaceutical applications.

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and imaging are fast and nondestructive analytical techniques that provide chemical and physical information of virtually any matrix. In combination with multivariate data analysis these two methods open many interesting perspectives for both qualitative and quantitative analysis. This review focuses on recent pharmaceutical NIR applications and covers (1) basic principles of NIR techniques including chemometric data processing, (2) regulatory issues, (3) raw material identification and qualification, (4) direct analysis of intact solid dosage forms, and (5) process monitoring and process control.