Device and method for detection of counterfeit pharmaceuticals and/or drug packaging

• US 10,007,920 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2013
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Department Of Health And Human Services
• Original Assignee: United States Department Of Health And Human Services
• Inventors: Ranieri, Nicola, Witkowski, Mark R., Green, Mike D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalapodas, Dramos I
• Application Number:
  US14/650,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20150310454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9508 Capsules; Tablets
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/15 Medicinal preparations ; Physical properties thereof, e.g. dissolubility drug screening with animal cells G01N33/5008
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means

Abstract

One aspect of the invention provides a device for detecting a counterfeit product. The device includes: a plurality of light sources configured to emit light at a plurality of different wavelengths onto an object potentially including a suspect product; at least one image acquisition device adapted and configured to acquire image data; and a communications interface adapted and configured to transmit the image data to a computing device selected from the group consisting of: a tablet computer and a smartphone.

Claims

1. A device for detecting counterfeit pharmaceutical tablets or capsules, the device comprising:

a plurality of light sources configured to emit light at a plurality of different wavelengths onto an illuminated pharmaceutical tablet or capsule;

first and second image acquisition devices adapted and configured to acquire image data of the illuminated pharmaceutical tablet or capsule, wherein the image data comprises color or brightness of the pharmaceutical tablet or capsule;

a communications interface adapted and configured to transmit the image data to a computing device selected from the group consisting of;

a tablet computer and a smartphone;

a housing including a lower surface, the plurality of light sources being coupled to the housing and arranged in the housing in a fixed relationship to the first and second image acquisition devices, the first and second image acquisition devices being tilted toward each other and aimed at a same location within a focal plane on the pharmaceutical tablet or capsule, wherein the first and second image acquisition devices are each tilted at about 22.5 degrees with respect to a plane defined by the lower surface of the housing;

wherein operation of the plurality of light sources and the first and second image acquisition devices is configured to be controlled from a separate tablet computer or a smartphone via graphical user interfaces displayed on a display screen of the tablet computer or smartphone;

wherein some of the plurality of light sources are configured to illuminate the pharmaceutical tablet or capsule by emitting light at different wavelengths from one another, wherein one or more of the different wavelengths produce a detectable difference in color or brightness of the image data of the pharmaceutical tablet or capsule that distinguishes between a counterfeit and authentic pharmaceutical tablet or capsule.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising one or more filters adapted and configured to selectively filter selected wavelengths of light from entering the first and/or second image acquisition device wherein the selected wavelengths of light distinguish between a counterfeit and authentic pharmaceutical tablet or capsule.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of light sources includes light sources that emit light having an infrared wavelength, visible wavelength, ultraviolet wavelength, or any combination thereof, and the device is configured to acquire one or more images at multiple combinations of illumination and filtered wavelengths.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second image acquisition devices are configured to simultaneously image the same location at the different wavelengths of light.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more wavelengths detect a difference in color between the counterfeit and authentic pharmaceutical tablet or capsule.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the housing further comprises a plurality of foldable legs that when unfolded support the device at a predetermined height above a support surface on which the pharmaceutical tablet or capsule is placed to allow the first and second image acquisition devices to image the same location on the pharmaceutical tablet or capsule.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the light sources comprise yellow light having a center frequency of 575 nm.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the housing is configured to receive a tablet computer or a smartphone mounted within the housing.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the computing device compares the image data of the illuminated object to image data of an authentic product in a database of stored image data of known authentic products to determine whether the object is an authentic product.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the detectable difference in color or brightness of the image data is produced by differences in one or more components within the pharmaceutical tablet or capsule.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the component within the pharmaceutical product comprises an excipient within the pharmaceutical table or capsule that produces the detectable difference in color or brightness.

9. A device for distinguishing between a counterfeit and authentic pharmaceutical tablet or capsule, the device comprising:

a housing including a substantially flat lower surface;

a plurality of different light sources coupled to the housing and being arranged in the flat lower surface of the housing, the different light sources emitting illumination light of different illumination wavelengths onto an illuminated object, wherein the object is a pharmaceutical tablet or capsule;

first and second image acquisition devices coupled to the lower surface of the housing and tilted toward each other with respect to the lower surface of the housing to aim at a same location on the object, wherein the image acquisition devices are adapted and configured to acquire image data about the color of the illuminated object at the same location, and wherein the first and second image acquisition devices are each tilted at about 22.5 degrees with respect to a plane defined by the lower surface of the housing; and

one or more filters that filter reflected light returning from the illuminated object to the image acquisition devices, wherein the different illumination wavelengths of the different light sources produce a detectable difference in image data about color between the counterfeit and authentic object when viewed through the one or more filters;

a communications interface configured to;

transmit image data from the first and second image acquisition devices to a computing device; and

receive control signals from the computing device, the control signals including one or more image settings comprising illumination and filtering wavelength information related to assessing whether the illuminated object is authentic or counterfeit.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the control signals illuminate

the object with the device at an illumination wavelength with at least one of the plurality of light sources;

filter reflected light of the illumination wavelength through the one or more filters as it is reflected from the illuminated object to the first and second image acquisition devices;

simultaneously acquire images with the first and second image acquisition devices from the same location on the object to produce image data of the object; and

with the communications interface, transmit the image data for display on the computing device, the computing device comprising a tablet computer or a smartphone, for identifying any difference in color of the object that would distinguish a counterfeit pharmaceutical tablet or capsule.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the control signals illuminate the object sequentially at different wavelengths of light from different of the light sources and filter the returning light with multiple different of the filters.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the computing device compares the image data of the illuminated object obtained from the first and second image acquisition devices to image data of an authentic product in a database storing image data of known authentic products to determine whether the illuminated object is an authentic product.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the detectable difference in image data about color of the object are produced by differences in one or more components within the pharmaceutical tablet or capsule.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the component within the pharmaceutical product comprises an excipient within the pharmaceutical tablet or capsule that produces the detectable difference in color or brightness.