The New York Section (New Jersey) of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) is the first and oldest spectroscopy networking organization in the United States. We were formed during World War II, before the parent organization of SAS. Our first Gold Medal Award symposium was awarded to Dr. William F. Meggers in 1952. The local section provides a forum for practicing spectroscopists to interact, lead, and share insights that can benefit their respective organizations. Monthly meetings feature research presentations from academia, government, and industry, and provide members with opportunities to expand their knowledge and application of vibration, electronic, and atomic spectroscopy. For more information, click on the "About NYSAS" page.
NY/NJ SAS Gold Medal Award Symposium
2026 Gold Medal Award Winner:
Dr. Richard Crocombe│Crocombe Spectroscopic Consulting
Tuesday, November 17, 2026
9:00 – 11:30 AM EDT
Amphitheater, 1st Floor
Crowne Plaza Princeton Conference Center, Plainsboro, NJ
SPEAKERS
Richard Crocombe
Mary Kate Donais
Pauline Leary
Ari Forman
PROGRAM
NY/NJ Monthly Meetings are FREE Zoom Meetings open to all International SAS Members and interested Scientists
Invited Seminar – Thursday, October 15, 2026
12:00 – 1:00 PM EDT
Optimization of a Universal NIR Quantitative Moisture Method for Lyophilized Pharmaceutical Products
Speaker: Deborah Peru │ DP Spectroscopy and Training, LLC
Join Zoom Meeting (See Meeting Details Below)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87319425378?pwd=B4f6see8ORev1uctfGyOnjNXsqNOju.1
ABSTRACT
Moisture determination in lyophilized pharmaceutical products is a key quality parameter because moisture directly influences product stability and performance. Karl Fischer (KF) titration is the compendial method for moisture analysis and provides total moisture content in the sample, including both bound and free water. It is a destructive technique that requires a chemical titrant and is often prone to sample-handling errors and possible interferences.
Many industries, including pharmaceuticals, are developing optical methods such as Near-Infrared analysis for indirect moisture determination of samples in sealed containers. As a secondary moisture determination method, NIR measures moisture via spectral absorption in the “cake” portion of the product and correlates it to KF values, the reference method. The key advantages of NIR include its nondestructive sampling, making the sample viable for further testing, elimination of titrants, and improved efficiency in obtaining results (2-3 minutes versus 1-2 hours).
While a universal NIR model for moisture determination would enhance the value proposition of purchasing NIR equipment for quality testing, optical differences among product chemistries, density, particle size, and vial wall thickness are among the leading performance challenges in using a Universal model.
The presentation discusses the development of a universal PLS quantitative moisture model using combined datasets from multiple pharmaceutical laboratories. The author discusses optimizing preprocessing techniques and using scores and loadings to guide PLS model development that minimizes the contributions of excipients and actives while enhancing the contributions of the free- and bound-moisture bands, providing excellent model performance.
BIOGRAPHY
Deborah Peru is the Owner and President of DP Spectroscopy & Training LLC. She has over 40 years of experience in industrial R&D and process analytical technology (PAT) in the petrochemical, specialty chemical, consumer products, and pharmaceutical industries. Her experience is focused on developing near-infrared, mid-infrared, Raman, and SERS methods for laboratory and real-time measurements. Her PAT experience includes using laboratory reactors and in situ particle-size analyzers to optimize products & processes for improved yield, stability, and performance. Ms. Peru is serving as the Secretary for both the Coblentz Society and is the Treasurer of the New York/New Jersey Regional Section of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) and is the recipient of the 2019 SAS Distinguished Service Award.
Zoom Meeting Details
Topic: Deborah Peru - Optimization of a Universal NIR Quantitative Moisture Method for Lyophilized Pharmaceutical Products
Time: Oct 15, 2026 11:45 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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