Portable product authentication device

• US 20030123050A1
• Filed: 10/18/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fredrich Behringer, Philips J. Christopher, Rakesh Vig, Richard L. Selinfreund, Richard P. Gill
• Original Assignee: Fredrich Behringer, Philips J. Christopher, Rakesh Vig, Richard L. Selinfreund, Richard P. Gill
• Inventors: Selinfreund, Richard L., Behringer, Fredrich, Vig, Rakesh, Gill, Richard P., Philips, J. Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 6,707,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/71
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/42 Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry beam switching arrangements G01J3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/645 Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8507 Probe photometers, i.e. with optical measuring part dipped into fluid sample
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0221 Portable; cableless; compact; hand-held

Abstract

A portable product authentication device and method for analyzing key ingredients and the relative amounts of key ingredients in products which in turn enables authentication and monitoring products for authenticity, fraud and quality control is disclosed. Particular light-emissive compounds can be used to identify and quantitate the relative levels of key ingredients in the products. The invention includes a probe assembly for providing a source of light to irradiate a sample product, an optical detector to detect emitted light from the irradiated product and a controller to determine the authenticity or quality of the sample product by comparing the emitted light to a standard. A small sample of the product to be authenticated is tested on site (e.g., at the point of manufacture or at the point of distribution) thereby giving immediate feedback as to its authenticity or quality. The sample, together with the light-emissive compound may be placed on a chip. The chip, together with the small amount of sample is placed in the probe assembly.

Claims

1. A portable product authentication device comprising:

a base unit having a flexible conduit;

probe assembly coupled to said flexible conduit, with said probe assembly having a light source for irradiating a sample to be authenticated with a predetermined wavelength of light;

an optical detector for detecting at least one emitted wavelength of light generated by the sample in response to the irradiating wavelength of light to provide a sample characteristic; and

,

a controller disposed within said base unit and communicating with said probe assembly for receiving said sample characteristic and comparing said sample characteristic to a fingerprint.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said light source is a fiber optic cable operatively connected to a light-emitting diode.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein said light source is a light-emitting diode.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein said optical detector is disposed within said probe assembly.

5. The device according to claim 1 wherein a fiber optic cable is disposed within said probe assembly and is operatively connected to said optical detector for receiving emitted light generated by the sample and transmitting to said optical detector.

6. The device according to claim 1 further comprising a receptacle for interchangeably receiving one of a plurality of light sources, with each said light source being selected to emit a desired wavelength of light based on a desired sample to be authenticated.

7. The device according to claim 1 wherein said probe assembly comprises an emission filter for filtering undesired wavelengths of light from said at least one emitted wavelength of light generated by the sample in response to the irradiating wavelength of light.

8. The device according to claim 7 wherein said probe assembly is adapted to interchangeably receive one of a plurality of emission filters, with each said emission filter being selected to filter undesired wavelengths of light based on a desired sample to be authenticated.

9. The device according to claim 1 wherein said probe assembly comprises a source filter for filtering undesired wavelengths of light generated from said light source.

10. The device according to claim 9 further comprising a receptacle for interchangeably receiving one of a plurality of source filters, with each said source filter being selected to filter undesired wavelengths of light based on a selected light source.

11. The device according to claim 1 wherein said optical detector detects a quantity of said at least one emitted wavelength of light generated by the sample.

12. The device according to claim 1 wherein said optical detector detects a change in quantity over time of said at least one emitted wavelength of light generated by the sample.

13. The device according to claim 1 wherein said controller is located at a site remote from said probe assembly.

14. The device according to claim 1 wherein said controller comprises a database of stored fingerprints.

15. The device according to claim 1 wherein said optical detector detects a characteristic of an authentic sample to provide said fingerprint.

16. The device according to claim 1 wherein said optical detector performs a plurality of detections on a single sample to be authenticated.

17. The device according to claim 1 wherein said probe assembly further includes a holder adapted to receive said sample.

18. The device according to claim 1 wherein said probe assembly comprises a reflector to reflect light emitted from said light source toward said sample.

19. The device according to claim 1 wherein said fingerprint includes a range of acceptable fingerprints.

21. The probe assembly according to claim 19 wherein said light source is a light-emitting diode.

60. The kit according to claim 59, wherein the substrates are constructed and arranged for use with the portable product authentication device of claim 1.

20. A probe assembly for detecting a characteristic of a sample to be authenticated, with said probe assembly comprising:

a hand-held probe body;

a light source disposed in said body for irradiating the sample with a predetermined wavelength of light; and

,

an optical detector disposed in said body for detecting at least one emitted wavelength of light generated by the sample in response to the irradiating wavelength of light to provide a sample characteristic.

22. The probe assembly according to claim 20 further comprising a light-emitting diode receptacle formed in said body for interchangeably receiving one of a plurality of light-emitting diodes, with each said light-emitting diode being selected to emit a desired wavelength of light based on a desired sample to be authenticated.

23. The probe assembly according to claim 20 further comprising an emission filter disposed in said body for filtering undesired wavelengths of light from said at least one emitted wavelength of light generated by the sample in response to the irradiating wavelength of light.

24. The probe assembly according to claim 23 further comprising an emission filter receptacle formed in said body for interchangeably receiving one of a plurality of emission filters, with each said emission filter being selected to filter undesired wavelengths of light based on a desired sample to be authenticated.

25. The probe assembly according to claim 20 further comprising a source filter disposed in said body for filtering undesired wavelengths of light generated from said light source.

26. The probe assembly according to claim 25 further comprising a source filter receptacle formed in said body for interchangeably receiving one of a plurality of source filters, with each said source filter being selected to filter undesired wavelengths of light based on a selected light source.

27. The probe assembly according to claim 20 wherein said probe body includes a holder adapted to receive said sample.

28. The probe assembly according to claim 20 further comprising a reflector disposed in said body for reflecting light emitted from said light source toward said sample.

29. A kit for detecting a characteristic of a sample to be authenticated comprising:

a hand-held probe body having a plurality of receptacles; and

,

at least one light-emitting diode for irradiating the sample with a predetermined wavelength of light, each adapted for insertion into one of said receptacles.

30. The kit according to claim 29 further comprising at least one source filter for filtering undesired wavelengths of light generated from said light-emitting diode, each adapted for insertion into another one of said receptacles.

31. The kit according to claim 29 further comprising at least one emission filter for filtering undesired wavelengths of light from said at least one emitted wavelength of light generated by the sample in response to the irradiating wavelength of light, each adapted for insertion into another one of said receptacles.

32. The kit according to claim 29 further comprising at least one light-emissive compound, each adapted for reaction with a selected sample to be authenticated.

33. The kit according to claim 29 further comprising a holder adapted for insertion into said probe body, with said holder adapted for holding said light-emissive compound and said sample.

34. The kit according to claim 29 wherein one of said at least one light-emitting diode is selected based on a desired wavelength of light to be emitted, with said desired wavelength being based on a desired sample to be authenticated.

35. The kit according to claim 29 wherein said probe body comprises an optical detector for detecting at least one emitted wavelength of light generated by the sample in response to the irradiating wavelength of light.

36. The kit according to claim 29 wherein said probe body comprises a reflector for reflecting light emitted from said light source toward said sample.

37. The kit according to claim 29 further comprising a carrying case.

38. A method for detecting a characteristic of a sample to be authenticated using a portable authentication device, the device having a probe assembly having a light source for irradiating a sample to be authenticated with a predetermined wavelength of light;

and, an optical detector for detecting at least one emitted wavelength of light generated by the sample in response to the irradiating wavelength of light to provide a sample characteristic, with said method comprising the steps of;

detecting background light with said optical detector;

adding a light-emissive compound to an authentic product sample to form an authentic sample mixture;

irradiating the authentic sample mixture with an irradiating wavelength of light;

detecting one of a quantity and a change in quantity over time of light generated by the authentic sample mixture in response to the irradiating wavelength of light to provide a fingerprint;

adding a light-emissive compound to a test product sample to form a test sample mixture;

irradiating the test sample mixture with an irradiating wavelength of light;

detecting one of a quantity and a change in quantity over time of light generated by the test sample mixture in response to the irradiating wavelength of light to provide a test sample characteristic; and

,

comparing said test sample characteristic to said fingerprint to determine whether the test sample is authentic.

39. The method according to claim 38 wherein said irradiating step and said detecting step for both said authentic sample mixture and said test sample mixture occurs in close spatial and temporal proximity.

40. The method according to claim 38 further comprising the step of, when said test sample is not authentic, communicating with a remote computer and reading a stored characteristic to determine the identity of the test sample.

41. The method according to claim 38 wherein said step of detecting to provide a fingerprint comprises the step of detecting both a quantity and a change in quantity over time of light generated by the authentic sample mixture.

42. The method according to claim 38 wherein said step of detecting to provide a test sample characteristic comprises the step of detecting a quantity and a change in quantity over time of light generated by the test sample mixture.

43. The method according to claim 38 wherein said step of comparing further comprises the step of communicating with a controller having a database of a plurality of fingerprints.

44. The method according to claim 40 wherein said step of communicating occurs after a determination that the test sample is not authentic based on said comparison and wherein said step of communicating includes the step of comparing said test sample characteristic to said database of fingerprints.

45. The method according to claim 38 further comprising the step of performing a plurality of detections on one of said authentic sample and said test sample.

46. A chip comprising:

a substrate, and

a plurality of different light-emissive compounds attached to a surface of the substrate in a manner whereby the light-emissive compounds will interact with interaction partners, such interaction altering light emission from the light-emissive compounds versus light emission from the light-emissive compounds absent said interaction,

wherein each of the different light-emissive compounds is attached at a location discrete from attachment of all other of the different light-emissive compounds, and

wherein the substrate is free of interference with light emission from the light-emissive compound in the presence of said interaction and in the absence of said interaction.

47. The chip according to claim 46 wherein the plurality is selected from the group consisting of three different light-emissive compounds, four different light-emissive compounds, five different light-emissive compounds, six different light-emissive compounds, seven different light-emissive compounds, eight different light-emissive compounds and nine different light-emissive compounds.

48. The chip according to claim 47 wherein the light-emissive compounds are dyes.

49. The chip according to claim 47 wherein the chip defines a plurality of microwells, and wherein the discrete location of attachment of each of the different light-emissive compounds is within a microwell.

50. The chip according to claim 47 further comprising one or more markings on the chip for locating the position of each of the different light-emissive compounds on the chip.

51. The chip according to claim 49 further comprising one or more markings on the chip for locating the position of each of the different light-emissive compounds of the chip.

52. The chip according to claim 47 further comprising one or more markings on the chip to identify what different light-emissive compounds are on the chip.

53. The chip according to claim 47 wherein the light-emissive compounds are covalently attached to the substrate.

54. The chip according to claim 46 wherein the different light-emissive compounds on the chip are preselected and are at a preselected concentration to interact with a known standard and create a preselected pattern of light emission when the surface is contacted with the known standard characteristic of the known standard.

55. The chip according to claim 54 further comprising a marking on the chip identifying the chip as specific for the known standard.

56. A method for determining relatedness of a sample to a standard, comprising:

providing a sample mixture comprising the sample applied to the surface of a chip selected from the group consisting of the chip of claim 46, claim 47, claim 48, claim 49, claim 50, claim 51, claim 52, claim 53, claim 54 and claim 55,

irradiating the sample mixture with a plurality of irradiating wavelengths of light,

monitoring at least one emitted wavelength of light, to establish a sample emission profile,

providing a standard fingerprint characteristic of a standard mixture, the standard mixture with the irradiating wavelengths and monitoring the at least one emitted wavelength in response thereto, and

comparing the sample emission profile with the standard fingerprint to determine the relatedness of the sample and the standard.

57. The method according to claim 56 wherein the sample is applied to the surface of the chip as a microdrop.

58. The method according to claim 56 wherein the chip comprises microwells containing the light-emissive compounds and wherein the sample is applied to the surface of the chip as a microdrop, further comprising allowing the microdrop to spread across the surface of the chip to occupy the microwells.

59. A kit comprising:

a package containing a plurality of discrete substrates, each of the substrates containing or having attached thereto an identical set of 3-9 light-emissive compounds, the set selected to interact with a known standard and create a preselected pattern of light-emission when irradiated with at least one wavelength of light on the pressure of such interaction, and

instructions in the package indicating that the substrates are for use with the known standard or samples for which the relatedness of the samples to the known standard is to be determined.

61. A probe assembly for detecting a characteristic of a sample to be authenticated, with said probe assembly comprising:

a hand-held probe body;

a light source disposed in said body for irradiating the sample with a predetermined wavelength of light; and

,

a plurality of fiber optic cables disposed in said body and communicating with at least one optical detector, with said fiber optic cables being adapted and arranged to receive light emitted form a corresponding sample placed on a chip.