Uniquely identifiable drug dosage form units

• US 8,888,005 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2013
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David M. Prokop
• Original Assignee: David M. Prokop
• Inventors: Prokop, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Haupt, Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US13/906,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20140306010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 235/440
• US Class Current: 235/440
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/00 General identification or selection means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/30 Printed labels
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/007 Marking tablets or the like apparatus for printing on tablets or the like B41F17/36
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/38 for printing on knitted fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/086 with markings consisting of randomly placed or oriented elements, the randomness of the elements being useable for generating a unique identifying signature of the record carrier, e.g. randomly placed magnetic fibers or magnetic particles in the body of a credit card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/80 Recognising image objects characterised by unique random patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/95 Pattern authentication; Markers therefor; Forgery detection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

The present invention provides products, systems, and methods for the unique identification of individual drug dosage form units. The invention includes: random integrated optical identification marking of an individual drug unit; a lack of direct surface-to-surface contact between a marking instrument and the drug unit, i.e., deposition of a mark; drug unit image data based on the identification mark; a secondary product identifier associated with the individual drug unit; and comparing the marked drug unit to drug unit image data.

Claims

1. A drug unit authentication system, comprising:

a plurality of drug units, each drug unit containing a drug common to the plurality of drug units, and each drug unit having a deposited random integrated optically identifiable marking on a surface of or within a drug unit, wherein the marking of each drug unit in the plurality of drug units is unique and differentiatable from the markings of all other of the drug units in the plurality of drug units;

drug unit image data unique for each of the plurality of drug units and being related to the unique and differentiatable marking of each of the plurality of drug units;

a secondary product identifier common to the plurality of the drug units and related to the common drug of the plurality of drug units; and

a comparator configured to perform an optical comparison of a selected one of the drug units and the drug unit image data associated with the selected one of the drug units.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the deposited random integrated optically identifiable marking includes one or more of dots, spots, shapes, splashes, sprays, splatters, speckles, threads, and granules.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the deposited random integrated optically identifiable marking is both on a surface of and within the drug unit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the drug unit image data comprises information based on the deposited random integrated optically identifiable marking.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the drug unit image data further comprises information associated with the secondary product identifier.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the drug unit image data further comprises information associated with drug unit production details.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary product identifier is on or within a removable component associated with the drug unit.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary product identifier is one of a quick response code, bar code, and a radio-frequency identification system.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising customizable security levels.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises human-readable drug unit image data.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising one of electronic, computer, mobile, wireless, and web-based technologies.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the drug unit image data comprises information based on one of optical and pattern recognition technologies.