Method and apparatus for drug product tracking using encoded optical identification elements

• US 20060028727A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illumina Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Illumina Incorporated
• Inventors: Kersey, Alan, Fournier, David, Putnam, Martin A., Moon, John A., Pinto, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,619,819 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/569
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0011 for security or authentication holograms on information-bearing cards B42D25/328; testing papers with holograms G07D7/0032
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/0016 Covert holograms or holobjects requiring additional knowledge to be perceived, e.g. holobject reconstructed only under IR illumination microholograms G03H2230/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/16 the marking being a hologram or diffraction grating
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/0629 Holographic, diffractive or retroreflective recording
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0032 using holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/128 Viewing devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus for drug product tracking (or other pharmaceutical, health care or cosmetics products, and/or the packages or containers they are supplied with) using diffraction grating-based encoded optical identification elements 8 includes an optical substrate 10 having at least one diffraction grating 12 disposed therein. The grating 12 has one or more colocated pitches Λ which represent a unique identification digital code that is detected when illuminated by incident light 24. The incident light 24 may be directed transversely from the side of the substrate 10 (or from an end) with a narrow band (single wavelength) or multiple wavelength source, and the code is represented by a spatial distribution of light or a wavelength spectrum, respectively, or a combination thereof. The encoded element 8 may be used to label any desired item, such as drugs or medicines, or other pharmaceutical or health care products or cosmetics. The label may be used for many different purposes, such as for sorting, tracking, identification, verification, authentication, anti-theft/anti-counterfeit, security/anti-terrorism, or for other purposes. In a manufacturing environment, the elements 8 may be used to track inventory for production information or sales of goods/products. Such labeling provides product identification at the pill or liquid medicine level, which provides traceability of these products to their manufacturer, thereby reducing counterfeit products in the marketplace. Also, the elements 8 may be incorporated into a film, liquid, coating or adhesive tape at attached to the product package.

Claims

1. An optical identification element for identifying a drug, comprising:

an optical substrate;

at least a portion of said substrate being made of a substantially single material and having at least one diffraction grating embedded therein, said grating having a resultant refractive index variation within said single material at a grating location;

said grating providing an output optical signal indicative of a code when illuminated by an incident light signal propagating in free space; and

the element being at least partially disposed on or within said drug.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said refractive index variation comprises at least one refractive index pitch superimposed at said grating location.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said refractive index variation comprises a plurality of refractive index pitches superimposed at said grating location.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate is made of a material selected from the group:

glass, silica, plastic, rubber, and polymer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said code comprises at least a predetermined number of digital bits, said number being:

3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24, 28, 30, 40, 50, or 100.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said code comprises a plurality of bits, each bit having a corresponding spatial location and each bit in said code having a value related to the intensity of said output optical signal at the spatial location of each bit.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said substrate has a length that is less than about 1000 microns.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said substrate has a diameter that is less than about 250 microns.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said substrate is has a 3-D shape selected from the group:

cylinder, sphere, a cube, a pyramid.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises a particle or bead.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises a filament or thread.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said drug comprises pharmaceutical products, medical, health care products, cosmetics products, and/or the packages or containers that are supplied therewith.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said code comprises an encypted code.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises on or more of the following:

a film, an adhesive film, a shrink wrap film, a label, a security label.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, where the drug is selected from the group, comprising:

large or small pills, capsules, liquid medicine, and powdered medicine.

15. A drug having a optical element disposed therein or thereon, comprising:

an optical substrate;

at least a portion of said substrate being made of a substantially single material and having at least one diffraction grating embedded therein, said grating having a resultant refractive index variation within said single material at a grating location;

said grating providing an output optical signal indicative of a code when illuminated by an incident light signal propagating in free space; and

said code identifying the drug.

16. A method of reading a code in an optical identification element that is disposed on or within a drug, the element having a diffraction grating having a resultant refractive variation at a grating location, comprising:

illuminating said element with incident light, said substrate providing an output light signal; and

reading said output light signal and detecting a code therefrom.

17. A method for labeling a drug, comprising:

obtaining an optical identification element having at least one diffraction grating disposed therein, the grating having a resultant refractive index variation at a grating location;

the grating providing an output optical signal when illuminated by an incident light signal; and

the optical output signal being indicative of a code;

the element being disposed at least partially on or within the drug.

19. The method of claim 19, wherein said code comprises a digital code indicative of information relating to:

identity, type of item, lot number, manufacturer, serial number, date code, or code accuracy.

18. The method of claim 19, where the drug is selected from the group, comprising:

large or small pills, capsules, liquid medicine, and powdered medicine.