DETECTABLE COMPOUND RECEPTACLE FOR MARKING AN OBJECT

Abstract

DETECTABLE COMPOUND RECEPTACLE FOR MARKING AN OBJECT The present invention relates to a detectable compound receptacle, intended for marking an object, characterized in that the receptacle comprises a base and side walls forming a cavity, in particular cylindrical in shape, intended to hold at least one detectable compound, the base having an outer surface and an inner surface facing the cavity, the cavity being covered, in a hermetically sealed manner, by a removable transparent lid having an outer surface and an inner surface facing the cavity, and the height of the receptacle from the outer surface of the base to the outer surface of the lid, is from about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm.

Description

Title of the invention: DETECTABLE COMPOUND RECEPTACLE FOR MARKING AN OBJECT Object of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a detectable compound receptacle for marking an object. Technical background

[0002] Object authentication by marking can be done in many ways.

[0003] One example is the engraving of an identification code on the object. However, the engraving can be easily modified or erased.

[0004] Another method is the application of electronic chips, such as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chips. However, these chips are generally glued onto the object and can be removed. Furthermore, the lifespan of these chips is limited (often less than 10 years). Finally, the data contained on the chip can be falsified.

[0005] More recently, varnish-type coatings containing DNA fragments of known and specific sequences, for application to objects, have been placed on the market. For example, international application WO 2008 / 007060 describes a material for indelibly and uniquely marking an article for identification purposes; the material comprises a mixture of approximately 1% to 10% by weight of a fluorescent marker, DNA, and the remainder consisting essentially of a solvent.

[0006] However, this type of varnish can be easily removed, for example by sanding. Furthermore, the lifespan of these coatings is limited, typically around 5 years.

[0007] It is therefore an object of the invention to solve these problems. Summary of the invention

[0008] In this regard, the present invention relates to a detectable compound receptacle, intended to mark an object, characterized in that the receptacle comprises a base and side walls forming a cavity, in particular cylindrical in shape, intended to accommodate at least one detectable compound, the base having an outer surface and an inner surface facing the cavity, the cavity being covered, in a hermetically sealed manner, by a removable transparent lid having an outer surface and an inner surface facing the cavity, and the height of the receptacle from the outer surface of the base to the outer surface of the lid is from about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm.

[0009] The present invention also relates to the use of a detectable compound receptacle as defined above, for marking an object.

[0010] The present invention also relates to a method for marking an object, comprising:

[0011] - a step of adding a detectable compound to the cavity of a receptacle such as as defined above,

[0012] - possibly a step of fixing the receptacle onto the object when the receptacle is not integrated into the object.

[0013] The present invention also relates to a method for detecting an object marked by a receptacle as defined above, wherein the detectable compound is a nucleic acid, comprising:

[0014] - a step of extracting the nucleic acid contained in the receptacle cavity,

[0015] - a step of determining the presence of a predetermined sequence in the extracted nucleic acid.

[0016] The present invention also relates to a method for detecting an object marked by a receptacle as defined above, wherein the detectable compound is a fluorescent microparticle and / or one bearing an alphanumeric code, comprising:

[0017] - a step of detecting the fluorescence emitted by the detectable compound, and / or

[0018] - an optical or digital reading step of the alphanumeric code. Description of the invention

[0019] As a preliminary point, it should be noted that the term "comprising" means "including," "containing," or "encompassing," that is to say, when an object "comprising" one or more elements, elements other than those mentioned may also be included in the object. Conversely, the expression "consisting of" means "made up of," that is to say, when an object "consists of" one or more elements, the object cannot include elements other than those mentioned.

[0020] Receptacle

[0021] The receptacle can be of any shape. In particular, it can be cylindrical, as in [Fig. 1], cubic, pentagonal, as in [Fig. 4], hexagonal, heptagonal, or octagonal. The center of the receptacle can be hollow or solid.

[0022] The receptacle can be made of any material that provides it with a certain degree of strength. Preferably, the receptacle is metallic, fibrous, or polymeric. When metallic, the receptacle can be made of titanium, steel, particularly stainless steel, aluminum, or any type of precious metal, such as gold, silver, platinum, rhodium, palladium, or vermeil. When fibrous, the receptacle can be made of fiberglass, carbon fiber, or Kevlar. When polymeric, the receptacle can be made of polyaryletherketone (PAEK) or polyethyleneimine (PEI).

[0023] The height of the receptacle from the outer surface of the bottom to the outer surface of the lid is from about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm, preferably from about 0.75 mm to about 5 mm, even more preferably from about 1 mm to about 3 mm, most preferably from about 2 mm.

[0024] Preferably, a maximum length and a maximum width of the receptacle, or a diameter of the receptacle, is about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm, more preferably about 0.75 mm to about 5 mm, even more preferably about 1 mm to about 4 mm, most preferably about 3 mm.

[0025] Advantageously, these dimensions allow the receptacle to be discreet when attached to the object, while allowing it to be easily located when one wishes to detect or read the compound to be identified.

[0026] The receptacle may comprise one or more cavities. Preferably, the receptacle comprises two cavities. The cavity may be located in the center of the receptacle or be off-center.

[0027] Preferably, the cavity is cylindrical in shape.

[0028] Preferably, a maximum length and a maximum width of the receptacle, or a diameter of the cavity is about 0.25 mm to about 5 mm, more preferably about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm, even more preferably about 1 mm to about 2 mm, most preferably about 1.3 mm.

[0029] Preferably, the height of the cavity from the inner surface of the bottom to the inner surface of the lid is about 0.25 mm to about 5 mm, more preferably about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm, even more preferably about 0.75 mm to about 1.5 mm, most preferably about 0.9 mm.

[0030] Preferably, the cavity comprises a membrane for absorption or adsorption of the detectable compound. Preferably, the membrane is made of nylon or nitrocellulose.

[0031] Preferably, the cavity comprises at least one detectable compound, more preferably a plurality of detectable compounds, which may be identical or different.

[0032] As will be clear to a person skilled in the art, the cover is of any shape suitable for covering the cavity hermetically. In this regard, a sealing gasket or ice gasket, for example made of synthetic or natural rubber, or silicone, may be placed at the interface of the cover and the support to ensure or reinforce the airtight seal.

[0033] The seal can be disposed in a groove, called an ice notch, located between the lid and the rest of the receptacle. Thus, preferably, the receptacle according to the invention also includes an ice notch on the periphery of the lid.

[0034] Preferably also, the receptacle according to the invention includes a groove for supporting the lid.

[0035] Furthermore, the lid can be glued onto the receptacle using a strong glue, for example of the epoxy type.

[0036] Advantageously, thanks to the airtightness provided by the lid, the detectable compound, in particular the nucleic acid, especially DNA, is preserved inside the object to prevent its degradation and to protect it without time limitation from any contact with the external environment.

[0037] Furthermore, the lid can be inserted by forcing it into the receptacle, in particular at a dedicated location positioned above the cavity.

[0038] The lid is removable, meaning it can be removed or replaced, particularly for depositing or collecting a detectable compound. The lid can, in particular, be manipulated using a suction cup.

[0039] The lid is made of any material which gives it its property of transparency.

[0040] Advantageously, the transparency of the lid makes it possible to check if a detectable compound is present in the cavity, that is to say to detect the presence or absence of a detectable compound, and / or to read the detectable compound.

[0041] Preferably, the material of the lid gives it a certain strength.

[0042] Preferably, the lid is made of a glass-type material, in particular sapphire, quartz, or polymeric, such as polycarbonate (e.g. Plexiglas®), styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), polymethylene methacrylate (PMMA), styrene-methyl methacrylate (SMMA), or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN).

[0043] Preferably, the cover has a thickness of about 0.2 mm to about 4 mm, more preferably about 0.4 mm to about 2 mm, even more preferably about 0.6 mm to about 1.2 mm, most preferably about 0.8 mm.

[0044] Detectable compound

[0045] Preferably, the detectable compound is a fluorescent microparticle and / or one bearing an alphanumeric code, or a nucleic acid.

[0046] Nucleic acid is of any type that can be amplified, in particular by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and / or sequenced. Nucleic acid can be single-stranded or double-stranded, linear or circular. As will be clear to those skilled in the art, nucleic acid can be present in one copy or several copies, in one molecule or several molecules. It can, in particular, be RNA (ribonucleic acid) or DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Preferably, the nucleic acid is DNA.

[0047] Nucleic acid can be of any origin; it can be synthetic or extracted from a plant or animal, including humans. Synthesizers are available for synthesizing nucleic acids having One or more predetermined sequences are well known to a person skilled in the art. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the nucleic acid was extracted from a human individual to whom the object to be marked belongs.

[0048] The nucleic acid comprises at least one predetermined sequence that allows for the identification or authentication of the nucleic acid. Preferably, this sequence is specific, meaning that it is found only with a low probability in another nucleic acid. The sequence can be identified or authenticated by sequencing after extracting the nucleic acid from the cavity. Identification can also be performed by PCR, particularly real-time PCR, after extracting the nucleic acid from the cavity to serve as a template. In this case, the PCR primers can bind, by complementarity, to the sequence(s), and obtaining amplification signals the presence of the sequence. Alternatively, the PCR primers can bind to non-specific portions of the nucleic acid that flank a sequence of specific length, such as microsatellite sequences.

[0049] Advantageously, statistical studies have shown, based on only 10 genetic markers considered and compared, that the probability of finding the same characteristics for these 10 markers in the DNA of two unrelated human individuals randomly selected from the world population (excluding identical twins) is less than 1 in several tens of billions. Furthermore, this genetic code is essentially unforgeable because it is unknown, even to its owner, and is not present in any computer database.

[0050] Preferably, the nucleic acid is dehydrated, for example by drying or lyophilization.

[0051] The fluorescent microparticles and / or microparticles bearing an alphanumeric code can be made of any type of material. Preferably, the microparticles according to the invention are glass-based, polymer-based, ceramic-based, or metal-based. When the microparticles are polymer-based, the polymer is preferably selected from polyethylene (PE), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), or cellulose acetate. When the microparticles are ceramic-based, the ceramic is preferably selected from silica (SiO2), zirconia, particularly yttrium-stabilized zirconia, or zirconium silicate, particularly yttrium-stabilized zirconia. When the microparticles are metal-based, the metal is preferably selected from steel, particularly stainless steel, and titanium.

[0052] Preferably, the largest dimension, or diameter, of the microparticles according to the invention is from about 0.5 pm to about 1000 pm, more preferably from about 10 pm to about 800 pm, even more preferably from about 50 pm to about 500 pm, most preferably from about 100 pm to about 300 pm.

[0053] Preferably, the thickness of the microparticles according to the invention is from about 0.5 pm to about 1000 pm, more preferably from about 0.5 pm to about 100 pm, even more preferably from about 0.5 pm to about 10 pm, most preferably from about 0.5 to about 5 pm.

[0054] The microparticles according to the invention can be of any shape, in particular in the form of a disc, sphere, cubic, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal or octagonal.

[0055] When the microparticles are fluorescent, the fluorophores may be covalently or non-covalently contained within the microparticle, or may be contained within a coating covering the microparticle. A single fluorophore or several fluorophores with distinct emission wavelengths may be carried by the microparticles. Furthermore, the cavity may comprise microparticles all having the same fluorescence emission spectrum or a mixture of particles having distinct fluorescence emission spectra. Preferably, the fluorescence emission spectrum of all the microparticles contained within a cavity is specific, in particular essentially unique. Preferably, the absorption spectrum of the fluorescent microparticles is in the ultraviolet range.

[0056] The alphanumeric code can be composed of any alphabet or number system. The alphabet can be, in particular, Latin, Greek, Cyrillic, Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. The alphabet can also consist of special characters, or arbitrary signs or symbols.

[0057] Preferably, the alphanumeric code consists of 1 to 100 characters, in particular 1 to 10 characters.

[0058] The microparticles included in the cavity may all carry the same alphanumeric code or carry different alphanumeric codes.

[0059] The code is preferably read with a magnification of at least 10x, 20x, 30x, 40x, 50x, 60x, 70x, 80x, 90x or 100x. The reading can be carried out with an optical magnification system, in particular a magnifying glass or microscope, and / or with a high-resolution camera, in particular a CCD camera.

[0060] Object

[0061] As it is understood here, "marking" an object means that it can be identified or authenticated, particularly in a unique manner. This makes it possible, in particular, to attribute a characteristic to it, for example in relation to a register, specifically to attribute an owner or an origin to it.

[0062] The object to be marked according to the invention can be of any type. It includes, in particular, a valuable object that is susceptible to theft, counterfeiting, or copying. Examples of objects to be marked according to the invention include a motor vehicle, particularly one with two, three, or four wheels, a bicycle, particularly one with electric assistance, or a work of art. or decoration, such as a statue, a painting, a piece of furniture, a vase, tableware, clothing, a leather item, such as a bag, especially a handbag, a piece of jewelry, such as a necklace, a bracelet or a watch, or even a coin or ingot of precious metal.

[0063] Preferably, the receptacle is fixed or integrated into the object to be marked. When fixed, the receptacle is notably glued, cemented, or welded to the object to be marked. When integrated into the object to be marked, the receptacle can be placed in a contoured recess within the object to be marked. It can then be pressed in or fixed. Furthermore, in one embodiment of the invention, the side walls and the bottom of the receptacle form part of the object to be marked.

[0064] Detection

[0065] The detection and / or reading of the detectable compounds according to the invention can be done by techniques well known to a person skilled in the art, possibly after having extracted the detectable compounds from the cavity.

[0066] When the detectable compound is nucleic acid, detection and / or reading can be done by sequencing or by PCR, for example.

[0067] When the detectable compound is a fluorescent microparticle and / or one bearing an alphanumeric code, the compound can be detected and / or read without prior extraction from the cavity, using a lamp and a fluorometer and / or with an optical magnification system, in particular a magnifying glass or microscope type and / or with a high-resolution camera, in particular a CCD type camera. Description of the figures

[0068] [Fig.1]

[0069] Fig. 1 represents an external view of a receptacle (1) according to the invention in which the lid (5) and the ice notch (6) are visible.

[0070] [Fig.2]

[0071] Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a receptacle (1) according to the invention. The base (2), the side walls (3), the cavity (4), the lid (5) with its external (5a) and internal (5b) surfaces, the ice notch (6) and the lid support groove (7) are shown.

[0072] [Fig.3]

[0073] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an example of a receptacle (1) according to the invention, the dimensions of which are shown. The base (2), the side walls (3), the cavity (4), the ice notch (6) and the lid support groove (7) are shown.

[0074] [Fig.4]

[0075] Fig. 4 represents a receptacle (1) according to the invention in the form of a pentagon whose center is hollow, the cavity under the lid (5) being placed in one of the arms of the pentagon. Methods of embodying the invention

[0076] According to an embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 3, the receptacle (1) according to the invention is cylindrical in shape and is made of titanium, except for the lid (5) it comprises, which is made of sapphire glass. The receptacle has a diameter of approximately 3 mm and a height, from the outer surface of the base (2a) to the outer surface of the lid (5a), of approximately 2 mm. The lid (5) has a diameter of approximately 1.7 mm and a thickness of approximately 0.8 mm. The lid (5) rests on a support groove (7) which has a width of approximately 0.2 mm and a height of approximately 0.2 mm. The lid is surrounded by a glass notch (6) with a width of approximately 0.3 mm and a height of approximately 0.6 mm. The receptacle includes a cylindrical cavity (3) in its center, delimited by the walls (3), by the inner surface of the bottom (2b) and by the inner surface of the lid (5b), which has a diameter of about 1.3 mm and a height of about 0.9 mm.

[0077] According to another embodiment of the invention, upon initial acquisition of an object to be marked, the owner personally performs a salivary buccal swab or has any other type of biological sampling performed that is likely to contain their nuclear DNA. The owner's DNA is extracted from this biological sampling for long-term preservation at room temperature by dehydration and / or trapping on a nylon or nitrocellulose membrane. The owner's DNA is placed in the cavity (4) of a receptacle (1) which is attached to the object to be marked. One or more receptacles (1) containing the owner's DNA are also given to the owner along with a certificate of authenticity. If it becomes necessary to verify the authenticity of the marked object, these receptacles provide access to the original owner's DNA should the person subsequently pass away.

[0078] When it is necessary to verify the authenticity of the marked object, the individual claiming to be the owner of the object performs, or has performed by a third party, a buccal swab of saliva or any other type of biological sample containing extractable DNA. The receptacle (1) present in / on the object to be authenticated and containing the DNA of the original owner is opened by removing the cover (5). The DNA preserved in the cavity (4) is collected. The DNA of the individual claiming to be the owner of the object, as well as the DNA collected from the object, are analyzed for the purpose of determining genetic profiles. The determined genetic profiles are compared. In the event of a complete match, the object is authenticated as the The object is considered the property of the individual who performed the DNA test. In case of a discrepancy, the object is not authenticated as belonging to the individual who performed the DNA test.

[0079] In another embodiment, for example when verifying the authenticity of a branded item, such as a piece of jewelry, the receptacle (1) according to the invention is fixed to or included in the item, and the cavity (4) comprises fluorescent microparticles and / or microparticles bearing one or more alphanumeric codes. The item is declared authentic, that is, it has indeed been placed on the market by the owner or licensee of the trademark, if the fluorescence of the microparticle appears in the expected color or fluorescence spectrum after excitation by a light source and / or if the alphanumeric code(s) present on the microparticles correspond to the expected alphanumeric code(s). If this is not the case, the item is not declared authentic.

Claims

Demands

1. A detectable compound receptacle (1), intended for marking an object, characterized in that the receptacle comprises a base (2) and side walls (3) forming a cavity (4) intended to accommodate at least one detectable compound, the base having an outer surface (2a) and an inner surface (2b) giving access to the cavity (4), the cavity (4) being covered, in a hermetically sealed manner, by a removable transparent lid (5) having an outer surface (5a) and an inner surface (5b) giving access to the cavity (4), and the height of the receptacle from the outer surface of the base (2a) to the outer surface of the lid (5a) is approximately 0.75 mm to approximately 5 mm.

2. A detectable compound receptacle according to claim 1, wherein the detectable compound is a fluorescent microparticle and / or one bearing an alphanumeric code, or a nucleic acid.

3. A detectable compound receptacle according to claim 2, wherein the nucleic acid is DNA.

4. A detectable compound receptacle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cavity comprises a membrane for absorption or adsorption of the detectable compound.

5. A detectable compound receptacle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a maximum length and maximum width of the receptacle, or a diameter of the receptacle, is from about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm.

6. A detectable compound receptacle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the receptacle is fixed or integrated into the object to be marked.

7. A receptacle for a detectable compound according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cavity comprises at least one detectable compound.

8. Use of a detectable compound receptacle as defined in any one of claims 1 to 7, to mark an object.

9. A method for marking an object, comprising: - a step of adding a detectable compound into the cavity of a receptacle as defined in any one of claims 1 to 6, - optionally a step of fixing the receptacle to the object when the receptacle is not integrated into the object.

10. A method for detecting an object marked by a receptacle as defined in claim 7, wherein the detectable compound is a nucleic acid, comprising: - a step of extracting the nucleic acid contained in the cavity of the receptacle, - a step of determining the presence of a predetermined sequence in the extracted nucleic acid.

11. Method for detecting an object marked by a receptacle as defined in claim 7, wherein the detectable compound is a fluorescent microparticle and / or one bearing an alphanumeric code, comprising: - a step of detecting the fluorescence emitted by the detectable compound and / or - a step of optically or digitally reading the alphanumeric code.

Images