Portable product authentication device
First Claim
1. A method for determining relatedness of a sample to a standard, comprising:
- providing a chip, the 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 the sample, 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;
applying a sample to the surface of the chip;
irradiating the sample with at least one irradiating wavelengths of light;
detecting at least one emitted wavelength of light, to establish a sample emission profile;
providing a standard fingerprint characteristic of a standard; and
comparing the sample emission profile with the standard fingerprint to determine the relatedness of the sample and the standard.
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Accused Products
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.
280 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for determining relatedness of a sample to a standard, comprising:
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providing a chip, the 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 the sample, 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;
applying a sample to the surface of the chip;
irradiating the sample with at least one irradiating wavelengths of light;
detecting at least one emitted wavelength of light, to establish a sample emission profile;
providing a standard fingerprint characteristic of a standard; and
comparing the sample emission profile with the standard fingerprint to determine the relatedness of the sample and the standard. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
applying a standard to the surface of a second chip;
irradiating the standard with at least one irradiating wavelength of light; and
detecting at least one emitted wavelength of light, to establish a standard fingerprint characteristic.
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18. The method according to claim 17 wherein applying a standard to the surface of a second chip;
- irradiating the standard with at least one irradiating wavelength of light; and
detecting at least one emitted wavelength of light, to establish a standard fingerprint characteristic is performed in close temporal proximity to applying a sample to the surface of the chip;
irradiating the sample with at least one irradiating wavelengths of light; and
detecting at least one emitted wavelength of light, to establish a sample emission profile.
- irradiating the standard with at least one irradiating wavelength of light; and
Specification