Patent EP-2041731-A1 (EP)
Inventor: BERTLING WOLF M
IPC: G07D7/14
Filed: 2007-07-03
Abstract: The procedure for the authentication of articles provided with a marking containing a marking nucleic acid, comprises providing an analysis solution, which contains two analysis- and two reference nucleic acid strands in segment-wise manner, bringing the analysis solution in contact with the marking under conditions suitable for a hybridizing of the analysis nucleic acid strand with marking nucleic acid, observing fluorescence emitted from the marking and detecting the authenticity of the article. One of the two analysis nucleic acid strands is complementary to the marking nucleic acid. The procedure for the authentication of articles provided with a marking containing a marking nucleic acid, comprises providing an analysis solution, which contains two analysis nucleic acid strands and two reference nucleic acid strands in segment-wise, bringing the analysis solution in contact with the marking under conditions suitable for a hybridizing of one of the two analysis nucleic acid strands with marking nucleic acid, observing fluorescence emitted from the marking and detecting the authenticity of the article, if observed fluorescence corresponds to an expected first characteristic of the first fluorescence signal and if an expected second characteristic of the second fluorescence signal is not observable. One of the two analysis nucleic acid strands is complementary to the marking nucleic acid. A first fluorophor at the analysis nucleic acid strands and a first quencher in a distance quenching a first fluorescence signal of the first fluorophor at the other analysis nucleic acid strand are bound. The reference nucleic acid strands are complementary to marking nucleic acid and/or to one of the two analysis nucleic acid strands. A second fluorophor at a reference nucleic acid strand and a second quencher in the distance quenching a second fluorescence signal of the second fluorophor at the other reference nucleic acid strand are bound. The first fluorophor and the first quencher are bound in the area of an end of analysis nucleic acid. The second fluorophor and the second quencher are bound in the area of an end of reference nucleic acid. The detection is carried out within 60 seconds after the bringing in contact. The contacting and observing steps are carried out with ambient temperature. The analysis and reference nucleic acid are present in a hairpin structure, with which the analysis nucleic acid has two branches complementary to each other. The marking is illuminated with light of a given wavelength range. The marking is applied on a light-reflecting document. The analysis solution is applied on only one analysis field of the marking containing the marking nucleic acid. The analysis solution is placed with a spike on the marking. The expected first characteristic is a given first minimum intensity in a first wavelength range and a given damping behavior of the first fluorescence signal and the expected second characteristic is a given second minimum intensity in a second wavelength range and a given damping behavior of the second fluorescence signal. The second fluorophor has a higher intensity to a given point of damping time than the first fluorophor. The marking contains a further nucleic acid except the marking nucleic acid. The marking is applied with a printing process on the article to be marked or on self-adhesive label. A printing ink is used as marking containing the marking nucleic acid and/or further nucleic acid. An independent claim is included for spike containing analysis solution.