The worldwide marketplace for counterfeit medicines is flourishing. Round one in ten medicines bought on-line is counterfeit, in keeping with a 2020 estimate from the World Well being Group (WHO). Counterfeit medicines contain a variety of merchandise — from life-style medicines resembling slimming or hair development merchandise to important medicines resembling most cancers medication, painkillers, or treatment for hypertension. ‘
In order that end-users can affirm the authenticity of medicines and different varieties of merchandise, the Fraunhofer Institutes for Utilized Polymer Analysis IAP, for Safe Data Know-how SIT and for Open Communication Methods FOKUS have developed a brand new sort of labeling system: SmartID.
Floor Texture of Packaging as a Fingerprint
“With SmartID, everybody within the provide chain can confirm and authenticate a product that carries a SmartID code instantly by way of a smartphone — offline, i.e., with out having to connect with a database,” stated Dr. Tobias Jochum, venture coordinator based mostly on the Fraunhofer Heart for Utilized Nanotechnology CAN in Hamburg, a analysis outpost of Fraunhofer IAP. “We leverage the truth that all packaging has a novel, attribute floor texture — much like a human fingerprint — and that commonplace smartphone cameras are in a position to seize this floor texture.”
The important thing to the system: Details about the floor texture is digitized and transformed right into a barcode which is printed onto the packaging. The SmartID app developed as a part of the venture is then used to test whether or not the data saved within the barcode matches the info captured from the floor texture.
A counterfeit-proof barcode is generated, which might additionally embody different details about the product. The benefit for producers is that no IT infrastructure must be arrange, as verification and authentication happen totally throughout the SmartID app on the smartphone. No database required. What’s extra, the system is straightforward to combine into business printing processes when producing the packaging.
“One main requirement for the SmartID concept is that the barcode and the world wanted for evaluating the floor textures are as small as potential. Because the venture evolves, we are going to optimize the system when it comes to the world required and in addition the sensitivity. Quantum supplies will play a key function right here. “These make it potential to detect considerably extra floor texture options over a smaller space,” says Jochum.
Anti-Counterfeit Barcode for All Sorts of Merchandise
The analysis staff has labored repeatedly on the labeling system over the past three years, and it’s now attracting consideration.
“Folks from a variety of industries promoting top-quality merchandise have already proven an curiosity in SmartID, together with from the fields of inside design, mechanical engineering, the printing trade and even the medical sector, the place the system is perhaps used for protecting supplies resembling respiratory masks,” provides Jochum.
“We’re at present nonetheless within the venture growth section, however we’re already negotiating licenses for the SmartID know-how,” says Jochum. They’ve partnered with Evia Analysis GmbH, who wish to use SmartID within the style trade: “Safety at particular person product stage based mostly on distinctive floor textures was very engaging. We additionally like the concept of offline verification: no database, so we will provide our prospects progressive, sustainable merchandise,” explains Steffen Tauber from Evia Analysis GmbH.
“The huge variety of inquiries we get exhibits we should be heading in the right direction. We’re actually wanting ahead to some fruitful conversations and to discovering new areas of utility for SmartID at MEDICA. Corporations can get an instantaneous impression of our demonstration model there,” explains Jochum.
