SubstanceSpecificationChecker
Substance Specification
Substance Specification Checker — Comprehensive substance specification verification
ℹ️ The utility checks key substance parameters: assay, impurities, heavy metals, residual solvents, loss on drying.
ℹ️ Does not use machine learning — rule-based logic only.
⚠️ Compliant with Ph. Eur., ICH Q3A/Q3C, EAEU.
Usage:
SubstanceSpecificationChecker.exe → demo mode (console output)
SubstanceSpecificationChecker.exe input.csv output.json → evaluate your data
Input format:
SubstanceName,Assay,Impurities,HeavyMetals,ResidualSolvents,LossOnDrying,AssayMin,AssayMax,ImpuritiesMax,HeavyMetalsLimit,ResidualSolventsLimit,LossOnDryingMax
Example:
Glucose,99.5,0.3,5.0,1000.0,0.8,98.0,102.0,0.5,10.0,5000.0,1.0
Paracetamol,97.0,0.6,8.0,2000.0,0.9,98.0,102.0,0.5,10.0,5000.0,1.0
— WHY IS THIS NEEDED?
Comprehensive substance verification enables:
• Rapid incoming raw material quality assessment,
• Audit readiness (all parameters in one report),
• Reduced OOS risk through early deviation detection.
Ph. Eur. and ICH compliance is mandatory for registration and GMP release.
input.csv
SubstanceName,Assay,Impurities,HeavyMetals,ResidualSolvents,LossOnDrying,AssayMin,AssayMax,ImpuritiesMax,HeavyMetalsLimit,ResidualSolventsLimit,LossOnDryingMax Glucose,99.5,0.3,5.0,1000.0,0.8,98.0,102.0,0.5,10.0,5000.0,1.0 Paracetamol,97.0,0.6,8.0,2000.0,0.9,98.0,102.0,0.5,10.0,5000.0,1.0
URS & FS — user requirements and functional specification
This document defines user requirements and functional specification for the quality-control utility. It supports deployment discussion, IQ/OQ preparation and QC workflow integration.
1. Scope
The Substance Specification Checker utility is used for Substance Specification. The actual input.csv is the source of truth for the input structure; control criteria are defined by the executable and the domain description.
The utility does not use machine learning; decisions are produced by deterministic rules.
Categories: EAEU pharmacopoeia
Tags: dissolution, EAEU, heavy metals, impurities, microbiology, pharmacopoeia, residual solvents, specification
2. Execution modes
SubstanceSpecificationChecker.exe → demo mode (console output) SubstanceSpecificationChecker.exe input.csv output.json → evaluate your data
3. Key controlled areas
- assay / content
- dissolution / disintegration
- residual solvents
- heavy metals / elemental impurities
- pH and physicochemical parameters
4. Domain limits and critical parameters
- ⚠️ Compliant with Ph. Eur., ICH Q3A/Q3C, EAEU.
5. URS — user requirements
| ID | Requirement | Criticality | Acceptance criterion |
|---|---|---|---|
| URS-001 | The system shall accept an input.csv file for Substance Specification with the exact columns listed in the “Input data contract” section. | High | A file with the correct header is processed without manual editing; missing mandatory columns produce FAIL/import error. |
| URS-002 | The system shall support execution without arguments in demo mode and execution with input.csv output.json for user data. | Medium | Both execution scenarios produce a predictable result or clear diagnostic error. |
| URS-003 | The system shall perform rule-based controls for: assay / content, dissolution / disintegration, residual solvents, heavy metals / elemental impurities, pH and physicochemical parameters. | High | Each controlled parameter receives a status and message; the result does not depend on hidden Excel formulas or ML. |
| URS-004 | The system shall preserve traceability between batch/lot, source values, applied rules and final verdict. | High | Output includes batch identifier, source values, parameter statuses and critical findings. |
| URS-005 | The system shall generate machine-readable output.json for LIMS/ELN/MES, batch record and QA/QC review. | High | JSON contains overall status, check array, warnings, failures and source-file reference. |
| URS-006 | The system shall support use in the client validation package: URS/FS, IQ/OQ preparation, installation and operational scenario checks. | High | The document, test scenarios and reproducible CSV/JSON flow are suitable for audit and internal approval. |
| URS-007 | The system shall clearly separate technical data errors from specification nonconformities. | Medium | Schema/type errors are not mixed with pharmacopoeial deviations and are reported separately. |
6. input.csv data contract
The source of truth for the input schema is the actual input.csv header. Column names are technical identifiers and are not translated.
| # | Column | Type | Unit | Description | Sample | Control rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SubstanceName | text | as specified | Substance Name | Glucose | mandatory value; format and acceptability are checked by the utility |
| 2 | Assay | decimal | as specified | Assay | 99.5 | numeric value; compared with assay/purity limit from specification or method |
| 3 | Impurities | decimal | as specified | Impurities | 0.3 | mandatory numeric value; rule comparison is performed by the utility |
| 4 | HeavyMetals | decimal | as specified | Heavy Metals | 5.0 | numeric value; checked as elemental/metal impurity |
| 5 | ResidualSolvents | decimal | as specified | Residual Solvents | 1000.0 | numeric value; checked as residual solvent against the applicable limit |
| 6 | LossOnDrying | decimal | as specified | Loss On Drying | 0.8 | mandatory numeric value; rule comparison is performed by the utility |
| 7 | AssayMin | decimal | min | Assay Min | 98.0 | numeric value; compared with assay/purity limit from specification or method |
| 8 | AssayMax | decimal | as specified | Assay Max | 102.0 | numeric value; compared with assay/purity limit from specification or method |
| 9 | ImpuritiesMax | decimal | as specified | Impurities Max | 0.5 | mandatory numeric value; rule comparison is performed by the utility |
| 10 | HeavyMetalsLimit | decimal | as specified | Heavy Metals Limit | 10.0 | numeric value; checked as elemental/metal impurity |
| 11 | ResidualSolventsLimit | decimal | as specified | Residual Solvents Limit | 5000.0 | numeric value; checked as residual solvent against the applicable limit |
| 12 | LossOnDryingMax | decimal | as specified | Loss On Drying Max | 1.0 | mandatory numeric value; rule comparison is performed by the utility |
CSV example
SubstanceName,Assay,Impurities,HeavyMetals,ResidualSolvents,LossOnDrying,AssayMin,AssayMax,ImpuritiesMax,HeavyMetalsLimit,ResidualSolventsLimit,LossOnDryingMax Glucose,99.5,0.3,5.0,1000.0,0.8,98.0,102.0,0.5,10.0,5000.0,1.0
7. FS — functional specification
| ID | Function | Implementation description |
|---|---|---|
| FS-001 | CLI entry point | The executable SubstanceSpecificationChecker.exe supports demo mode and input.csv output.json processing mode. |
| FS-002 | CSV parser | The import module reads CSV, validates header, column presence/order, value count and encoding. Decimal values are expected with a dot separator. |
| FS-003 | Field conversion | Each column is converted to the expected type: identifier, text, decimal number, date/time or boolean flag. |
| FS-004 | Domain rule engine | For Substance Specification, explicit rules are applied: range, minimum, maximum, absence of prohibited flag, data completeness or calculation-based check. |
| FS-005 | Criticality handling | Critical violations produce FAIL; non-critical deviations and incomplete data produce WARNING; full conformance produces PASS. |
| FS-006 | JSON writer | output.json stores overall status, per-parameter results, source values, warnings, failures and diagnostic messages. |
| FS-007 | Integration contract | The CSV → JSON format is stable for invocation from LIMS/ELN/MES, scheduled task or wrapper service. |
| FS-008 | Error handling | Schema error, missing file, non-numeric value or JSON write failure returns diagnosable error without silent PASS. |
8. output.json contract
The output file must be suitable for automated processing, audit review and correlation with the source input.csv row.
{
"utility": "SubstanceSpecificationChecker",
"api": "Substance Specification",
"batchNumber": "",
"overallStatus": "PASS|WARNING|FAIL",
"checkedAtUtc": "2026-05-18T00:00:00Z",
"checks": [
{
"parameter": "SubstanceName",
"value": "Glucose",
"unit": "as specified",
"status": "PASS|WARNING|FAIL",
"message": "Rule-based check result"
},
{
"parameter": "Assay",
"value": "99.5",
"unit": "as specified",
"status": "PASS|WARNING|FAIL",
"message": "Rule-based check result"
},
{
"parameter": "Impurities",
"value": "0.3",
"unit": "as specified",
"status": "PASS|WARNING|FAIL",
"message": "Rule-based check result"
},
{
"parameter": "HeavyMetals",
"value": "5.0",
"unit": "as specified",
"status": "PASS|WARNING|FAIL",
"message": "Rule-based check result"
},
{
"parameter": "ResidualSolvents",
"value": "1000.0",
"unit": "as specified",
"status": "PASS|WARNING|FAIL",
"message": "Rule-based check result"
},
{
"parameter": "LossOnDrying",
"value": "0.8",
"unit": "as specified",
"status": "PASS|WARNING|FAIL",
"message": "Rule-based check result"
},
{
"parameter": "AssayMin",
"value": "98.0",
"unit": "min",
"status": "PASS|WARNING|FAIL",
"message": "Rule-based check result"
},
{
"parameter": "AssayMax",
"value": "102.0",
"unit": "as specified",
"status": "PASS|WARNING|FAIL",
"message": "Rule-based check result"
}
],
"criticalFindings": [],
"sourceFile": "input.csv"
}9. OQ/PQ test scenarios
| ID | Scenario | Expected result |
|---|---|---|
| TC-001 | Valid CSV with expected header and sample row | All rows are processed; output contains PASS/WARNING/FAIL and parameter-level detail. |
| TC-002 | A mandatory input.csv column is missing | Import is rejected or the row receives FAIL with schema reference. |
| TC-003 | A numeric field contains text or a blank value | Type conversion error is recorded; the result is not hidden as PASS. |
| TC-004 | A parameter is outside specification or critical limit | Critical parameters produce FAIL; non-critical deviations produce WARNING according to the rule. |
| TC-007 | Residual solvent above applicable limit | FAIL is produced with solvent name and measured value. |
10. QA/QC, CSV and change control
- Before production use, the client records executable version, checksum, specification/monograph version, test CSV, expected JSON and IQ/OQ results.
- Column names must not be changed without updating the validator and test scenarios.
- The source CSV, output.json and utility version should be stored together as an evidence package.
- Any change in control rules must go through change control and repeated OQ scenario verification.
Included in packages
Diabetes QC Suite
QC package for diabetes medicines: insulins, metformin, SGLT2/DPP-4/GLP-1 products, glucagon and supporting dosage-form quality checks.
OpenEAEU Pharmacopoeia QC Suite
Package for EAEU pharmacopoeial methods: specifications, dissolution, microbiology, impurities and general tests.
Open