3D LASER CODING IN GLASS

• US 20140353381A1
• Filed: 06/18/2012
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: I-Property Holding Corporation
• Original Assignee: I-Property Holding Corporation
• Inventors: Stuck, Alexander, Klocke, Stefan, Glendenning, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,378,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.11
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/42 Plastics B23K2103/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/50 Inorganic material, e.g. metals, not provided for in B23K2103/02 – B23K2103/26
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0006 taking account of the properties of the material involved B23K26/32, B23K26/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/048 by controlling the distance between laser head and workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/442 using lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/14 Security printing securities B42D25/29
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/262 recording or marking of inorganic surfaces or materials, e.g. glass, metal, or ceramics marking of plastic artifacts with inorganic additives B41M5/267
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 23/0025 by a laser beam
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/126 by photographic or thermographic registration recording apparatus for measuring instruments G01D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06093 the marking being constructed out of a plurality of similar markings, e.g. a plurality of barcodes randomly oriented on an object
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1426 Multi-level bar codes

Abstract

This inventive method assures the authenticity of drugs or other valuable substances that reside within product containers, such as syringes. The method includes initially measuring the 3D topology of the glass surface while determining the distance to the glass surface. Thereafter, a desired 3D code is written below the glass surface with a pulsed laser system. The written 3D code is readable using optical coherence topography (OCT) or parallel optical coherence tomography (pOCT) to verify the authenticity of the product container. A system uses this method with a plurality of syringes held within a tray, and a writing apparatus that moves relative to the tray to write a predetermined 3D code on each of the syringes held in the tray, during processing of the syringes along a process line while in the tray.

Claims

1. A method for assuring the authenticity of substances, particularly a substance held within a glass or plastic container, comprising:

writing a predetermined 3D code below a surface of the container, via a pulsed laser, to mark the container with the predetermined 3D code, whereby the predetermined 3D code is readable to verify the substance held in the container.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the writing occurs via a writing device, and further comprising:

initially measuring the distance from the writing device to the surface of the container, and/or the contour of the surface, and then using the measured distance and/or the measured contour during the writing of the predetermined 3D code below the surface of the container, the measuring occurring within less than 1 s and accurate within 30 microns or better.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the writing uses short laser pulses having one of the following characteristics;

1-20 ps, 20-200 ps, ns, and 100 fs-1 ps.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined of 3D code has a size range from 0.5 to 50 μ

m in transverse cross-sectional area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the container is a filled and closed syringe holding a substance to be authenticated.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the writing, filling the container with a substance and then closing the container, thereby to assure that the substance held with the container is associated with the predetermined 3D code.

7. A product container holding a valuable substance therein, wherein the container has been treated according to the method of claim 1.

8. A method of determining the authenticity of a substance held within a product container, the container having a surface, comprising:

reading, from below the surface of the container, a predetermined 3D code that has previously been written into the container with a pulsed laser, the reading preferably occurring via optical coherence tomography (OCT) or parallel optical coherence tomography (pOCT).

9. A system for assuring the authenticity of valuable substances held within product containers, comprising:

a plurality of product containers held within a tray, the tray movable along a process line; and

a frame located along the process line and movable relative to the tray; and

a writing apparatus mounted on the frame, and adapted to be moved by the frame relative to the tray so as to place the writing apparatus in alignment with each of the containers, the writing apparatus further including;

a measuring device for measuring the distance to the surface of the aligned container and/or the surface contour of the aligned container,

a laser device for directing a pulsed laser toward the surface of the aligned container to create a predetermined 3D code below the surface thereof, and

a controller for coordinating the relative movement of the frame and the tray and for operating the writing apparatus, the measuring device, and the laser device.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the containers are syringes in a filled and closed condition, and each of the syringes has a flange, and wherein the writing occurs adjacent the flanges of the syringes.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the writing device and the laser device use a short pulsed laser that has at least one of the following parameters:

1-20 ps, 20-110 ps, ns, and 100 fs-1 ps.

12. The system of claim 9, and further comprising:

a reading device operatively connected to the writing apparatus and adapted to read the predetermined 3D code that has been written on the aligned container, thereby to immediately assure that the correct 3D code has been written onto the container.

13. The system of claim 12 where the reading device uses optical coherence tomography (OCT) or parallel optical coherence tomography (pOCT).