Patent ID: 6490030
Filing Date: 2002-12-03
Classification: G01J,G01N

Abstract:
A portable system for determining the authenticity of a sample, the system comprising:a portable product authentication device comprising: a base unit; a probe assembly coupled to said base unit, with said probe assembly having a light source for irradiating the sample product to be authenticated with a predetermined wavelength of light; an optical detector for detecting at least one emitted wavelength of light generated by the sample product in response to the irradiating wavelength of light to provide a sample characteristic; and, a controller disposed within said base unit and communicating with said probe assembly, said controller comparing said sample characteristic to a fingerprint, wherein said fingerprint comprises at least light emission intensity or intensity decay from at least one light-emissive compound in combination with a standard product; and a chip adapted to receive the sample product and carry the sample product to said portable product authentication device for subsequent authentication, wherein said chip comprises: a substrate, and a plurality of different isolated light-emissive compounds attached to a surface of said substrate in a manner whereby the light-emissive compounds will interact with interaction partners, such interaction altering light emission from said light-emissive compounds versus light emission from said light-emissive compounds absent said interaction, wherein the isolated light-emissive compounds are present in the absence of admixture with other substances, wherein each of said different light-emissive compounds is attached at a location discrete from attachment of all other of said different light-emissive compounds, and wherein said substrate is free of interference with light emission from said light-emissive compound in the presence of said interaction and in the absence of said interaction.