Marking apparatus for nucleic acid marking of items
AssigneesTrace Tag International Limited, 3SI Security Systems, Inc.
InventorsRobert Sleat, Greg Van Lint
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A marking apparatus (1) for marking an item (12). The apparatus comprises: means to receive the item; a nucleic acid marker; means to release a marking fluid (8); and a distribution mechanism (11) coupled to the nucleic acid marker and the means to release the marking fluid. The means to release the marking fluid can be activated to release the marking fluid such that the distribution mechanism disperses a mixture of the nucleic acid marker and the marking fluid onto the item.
Claims41
A storage system comprising a plurality of marking apparatuses for marking an item, wherein each marking apparatus comprises:
- means to receive the item;
- a nucleic acid marker;
- means to release a visibly staining marking fluid;
- and a distribution mechanism coupled to the nucleic acid marker and the means to release the visibly staining marking fluid, the means to release the visibly staining marking fluid being activatable to release the visibly staining marking fluid such that the distribution mechanism disperses a mixture of the nucleic acid marker and the visibly staining marking fluid onto the item, wherein each nucleic acid marker has a variable region of at least twelve nucleotides in length flanked by a first generic region and a second generic region, the first and second generic regions being the same in each nucleic acid marker of each marking apparatus and the variable region being different in the nucleic acid marker of each marking apparatus, the variable region of each nucleic acid marker containing no consecutively repeated nucleotides.
A method of security marking an item with a marking apparatus in response to detecting tampering with the marking apparatus comprising the steps of:
- providing a mixture of a nucleic acid marker and a visibly staining marker fluid;
- and dispersing the mixture onto the item, wherein each nucleic acid marker of the mixture has a variable region of at least twelve nucleotides in length flanked by a first generic region and a second generic region, the first and second generic regions being the same in each nucleic acid marker and the variable region being different in the nucleic acid marker of the marking apparatus compared to that of another marking apparatus, wherein the variable region of each nucleic acid marker contains no consecutively repeated nucleotides, and wherein the item is a bank note or similar valuable item.
A method of analyzing an item that has been rendered unusable by being marked with a marking apparatus by a visibly staining marker fluid and a nucleic acid marker, comprising the step of identifying the nucleic acid marker;
- wherein the nucleic acid marker has a variable region of at least twelve nucleotides in length flanked by a first generic region and a second generic region, the first and second generic regions being the same in the nucleic acid marker and the variable region being different in the nucleic acid marker of the marking apparatus compared to that of another marking apparatus, wherein the variable region of each nucleic acid marker contains no consecutively repeated nucleotides, and wherein the item is a bank note or similar valuable item.
A marking apparatus for marking an item, the marking apparatus comprising:
- (a) a pyrotechnic device containing one or more smoke pellets;
- (b) a dye;
- and (c) a nucleic acid marker having a variable region of at least twelve nucleotides in length flanked by a first generic region and a second generic region, the first and second generic regions being the same in each nucleic acid marker and the variable region being different in the nucleic acid marker of the marking apparatus compared to that of another marking apparatus, wherein the dye and the nucleic acid marker are impregnated into the one or more smoke pellets, the pyrotechnic device is activatable to release a mixture of smoke, the dye, and the nucleic acid marker, and the variable region of each nucleic acid marker contains no consecutively repeated nucleotides.
A method of producing a marking apparatus comprising:
- (a) providing a pyrotechnic device containing one or more smoke pellets having a dye incorporated therein;
- (b) preparing a mixture of a nucleic acid marker and a solvent, wherein each nucleic acid marker has a variable region of at least twelve nucleotides in length flanked by a first generic region and a second generic region, the first and second generic regions being the same in each nucleic acid marker and the variable region being different in the nucleic acid marker of the marking apparatus compared to that of another marking apparatus, and wherein the variable region of each nucleic acid marker (i) contains no consecutively repeated nucleotides or (ii) contains sequences of three consecutive nucleotides that are not present as sequences of consecutive nucleotides in either generic region;
- and
- (c) positioning the mixture on to at least one of the one or more smoke pellets such that the mixture diffuses through the one or more smoke pellets.
A storage system comprising a plurality of marking apparatuses for marking an item, wherein each marking apparatus comprises:
- means to receive the item;
- a nucleic acid marker;
- means to release a visibly staining marking fluid;
- and a distribution mechanism coupled to the nucleic acid marker and the means to release the visibly staining marking fluid, the means to release the visibly staining marking fluid being activatable to release the visibly staining marking fluid such that the distribution mechanism disperses a mixture of the nucleic acid marker and the visibly staining marker fluid onto the item, wherein each the nucleic acid marker has a variable region of at least twelve nucleotides in length flanked by a first generic region and a second generic region, the first and second generic regions being the same in each nucleic acid marker of each marking apparatus and the variable region being different in the nucleic acid marker of each marking apparatus, and wherein sequences of three consecutive nucleotides in each variable region are not present as sequences of consecutive nucleotides in either generic region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.