Method and apparatus for portable product authentication

• US 6,512,580 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1999
• Issued: 01/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verification Technologies, Inc. (Sun Chemical, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verification Technologies, Inc. (Sun Chemical, Inc.)
• Inventors: Selinfreund, Richard H., Aubrecht, Sarka, Behringer, Fredrich, Vig, Rakesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Hoa Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/428,704
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 356/244, 356/246, 356/432-440, 422/102, 422/104, 422/99, 422/100, 422/101, 436/164, 436/165, 436/172, 250/339.07, 250/343
• US Class Current: 356/244
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6421 Measuring at two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/643 non-biological material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6486 Measuring fluorescence of biological material, e.g. DNA, RNA, cells G01N21/6428 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/77 by observing the effect on a chemical indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54366 Apparatus specially adapted for solid-phase testing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54386 Analytical elements

Abstract

A method and apparatus for on-site verification of product authentication and quality includes a microplate having a substrate with a light-emissive compound thereon. The substrate provides immobilization of the light-emissive compounds and provides a three-dimensional environment similar to free solution for reactions with the product sample to occur. The microplate may include any material having desired light reflective properties and a surface to retain the light-emissive compounds therein. A metered amount of light-emissive compound is placed on the microplate by any desired metering method, such as hand-metering by skilled technicians, automatic metering using robotic equipment, or printing using for example, piezoelectric dispensing technology. In this respect, the light-emissive compound is placed on a microplate, with the microplate. Once the light-emissive compound is applied to the substrate, the microplate may be sent to the test site where product testing is to be performed. A sample product is placed on the microplate and the light-emissive is compound thereon is free to react with key ingredients in the sample product. Light emission from the light-emissive compound and the key ingredient is compared to a fingerprint.

Claims

1. A microplate comprising:

a base;

a porous substrate layered on said base; and

at least one dry light-emissive compound absorbed in said substrate in a manner to allow a liquid sample placed on said microplate to permeate said substrate and thereafter react with said at least one light-emissive compound, the at least one light-emissive compound being confined to a plurality of spaced apart microareas, all located within one or more macroareas within the substrate;

said microplate being arranged to permit radiation incident on it to interact with said at least one light emissive compound, and to permit radiation emitted by said at least one light emissive compound to exit said microplate, for analysis external of said microplate.

2. The microplate according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is formed of silica.

3. The microplate according to claim 2, wherein said silica comprises a plurality of silica particles.

4. The microplate according to claim 3 wherein each of said particles has a size less than about 25 microns.

5. The microplate according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is formed of a gel.

6. The microplate according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is a membrane.

7. The microplate according to claim 1, wherein said at least one light-emissive compound is held in said substrate without covalently bonding said at least one light-emissive compound to said substrate.

8. The microplate according to claim 1, wherein said at least one light-emissive compound enters solution when a liquid sample is placed on said microplate.

9. The microplate according to claim 1, wherein said at least one light-emissive compound comprises at least first and second light-emissive compounds, with said first light-emissive compound being interleaved with said second light-emissive compound.

10. The microplate according to claim 1, wherein said at least one light-emissive compound is disposed over a selected macroarea, with said selected macroarea comprising first and second macroareas, each comprising a different light-emissive compound.

11. The microplate according to claim 1, in combination with a system for verifying authenticity of a sample product, the system comprising:

a product authentication device for reading said microplate, said device comprising;

a light source for irradiating said microplate 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 coupled to said optical detector for receiving said sample characteristic and comparing said sample characteristic to a fingerprint.

12. The combination according to claim 11, wherein the system further comprises a frame coupled to said microplate, said frame having an indexing means for indexing said microplate relative to at least one of said light source and said optical detector.

13. The combination according to claim 12, wherein said device further comprises a tray, said tray receiving said frame.

14. The combination according to claim 13, wherein said device further comprises a driver coupled to said tray, said driver moving said tray relative to at least one of said light source and said optical detector.

15. The microplate according to claim 11, wherein said substrate is formed of silica.

16. The microplate according to claim 11, wherein said substrate is formed of a gel.

17. The microplate according to claim 11, wherein said substrate is a membrane.

18. The microplate according to claim 11, wherein said at least one light-emissive compound is held in said substrate without covalently bonding said at least one light-emissive compound to said substrate.

19. The microplate according to claim 11, wherein said at least one light-emissive compound absorbed in said substrate is dry.

20. The microplate according to claim 11, wherein said at least one light-emissive compound enters solution when a liquid sample is placed o n said microplate.

21. The microplate according to claim 11, wherein said at least one light-emissive compound comprises at least first and second light-emissive compounds, with said first light-emissive compound being interleaved with said second light-emissive compound.

22. The microplate according to claim 11, wherein said at least one light-emissive compound is disposed over a selected macroarea of said microplate, with said selected macroarea comprising a plurality of spaced apart microareas, with said at least one light-emissive compound occupying an entire microarea.

23. The microplate according to claim 11, wherein said at least one light-emissive compound is disposed over a selected macroarea with said selected macroarea comprising first and second macroareas, each comprising a different light-emissive compound.

24. The microplate according to claim 1 wherein said at least one light-emissive compound comprises a first and a second light-emissive compound, with said first light-emissive compound comprising bis-(1,3-diethylthiobarbituric acid) trimethine oxonol and with said second light-emissive compound comprising fluorescein-6-isothiocyanate.

25. A method of verifying authenticity of a sample product, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a microplate base having at least one dry light-emissive compound disposed thereon, the microplate having a base, the base having a porous substrate layered on said base, said at least one dry light-emissive compound absorbed in said substrate;

applying a liquid sample product to a microplate to permeate the substrate and thereafter react with the at least one light emissive compound;

irradiating said microplate with a predetermined wavelength of light;

detecting, external of the microplate, 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

comparing said sample characteristic to a fingerprint.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said applying step comprises the steps of applying a known sample product to said microplate and applying an unknown sample is product to said microplate, with said known sample product providing said fingerprint.

27. The method according to claim 25, further comprising the step of first irradiating said microplate to obtain a baseline before applying the sample product to the microplate.

28. The method according to claim 25, wherein said applying step comprises the step of dipping said microplate into a sample product.

29. The method according to claim 25, wherein said applying step comprises the step of applying a liquid sample to the microplate.

30. The method according to claim 25, wherein said at least one light-emissive compound absorbed in said substrate is dry.

31. A method of verifying authenticity of a sample product, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a microplate having a porous medium, the medium having at least 500 micropores at least some of which contain a dry light-emissive compound;

absorbing a liquid sample into said micropores to permit the sample to solublize and interact with the light-emissive compound in the micropores;

irradiating said microplate with a predetermined wavelength of light;

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

comparing said sample characteristic to a fingerprint.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein said providing step comprises the step of providing said micropores on a solid base.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein said base is flat.

34. The method according to claim 31, wherein said providing step comprises the step of forming said micropores with silica particles.