DNA Taggant Smoke for Inventory Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional security smoke or fog systems effectively deter intruders but lack the ability to identify individuals or uniquely mark inventory items post-incident, making it difficult to determine if a person was present during a theft and identify stolen items.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a carrier nucleic acid with a DNA taggant having a unique identifiable sequence into a smoke fluid, which is discharged by a smoke generator, allowing the DNA taggant to bind to surfaces and items, enabling later authentication through PCR amplification and detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional security smoke or fog systems are used, then intruders are effectively deterred and visibility is obscured, but the ability to identify intruders and mark inventory items post-incident is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The DNA taggant is incorporated into the smoke fluid before the security incident occurs. When the smoke is discharged during an intrusion, the pre-loaded DNA taggant is simultaneously deposited on intruders and inventory items, enabling later identification without requiring separate marking actions at the time of detection
Solution Approach 2:
The DNA taggant acts as an intermediary substance that transfers identification information from the smoke system to both intruders and inventory items. This biological marker serves as a mediating element that links the security system's detection function with post-incident identification capabilities
2Measurement precision
If DNA taggant is incorporated into smoke fluid, then identification and authentication capability is enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The DNA taggant incorporation process merges the identification function with the existing smoke fluid delivery system. By combining the DNA-containing smoke fluid in a single reservoir and using the existing smoke generator hardware, the system achieves enhanced identification capability without requiring separate marking devices or complex additional infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The modified smoke system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it maintains the original visibility obscuration and intruder deterrence capabilities while adding the new function of depositing DNA tags for later identification. This multi-functionality is achieved by integrating DNA taggant incorporation into the existing smoke fluid composition rather than adding separate systems
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively marks inventory items and individuals with a unique DNA taggant, enabling reliable identification and authentication, thereby addressing the limitations of conventional security systems in identifying perpetrators and stolen goods.
Implementation Method 1
allowing the DNA taggant to bind to surfaces and items
Implementation Method 2
Incorporating a carrier nucleic acid that includes a DNA taggant having a unique identifiable sequence into a smoke fluid, and discharging the smoke fluid including the carrier nucleic and the DNA taggant onto various surfaces
Data Source
AI summary
A method of marking an inventory item includes providing an activatable smoke generator and a reservoir for holding a smoke fluid and adapted to provide a flow of smoke fluid to the generator. The reservoir contains a smoke fluid including a carrier nucleic acid having a uniquely identifiable sequence, and upon activation of the smoke generator, marker smoke is generated and targeted to flow over the inventory item. The method further includes activating the smoke generator to produce the marker smoke including the carrier nucleic acid so as to cause the marker smoke to flow over the inventory item and thereby to detectably mark the inventory item with carrier nucleic acid. The invention provides methods for stably binding and immobilizing deoxyribonucleic acid onto objects and substrates. The method includes exposing the deoxyribonucleic acid to alkaline conditions, and contacting the deoxyribonucleic acid to the object or substrate. The alkaline conditions are produced by mixing the deoxyribonucleic acid with an alkaline solution having a pH of about 9.0 or higher, and contacting the deoxyribonucleic acid to the substrate. The immobilized DNA can be used as a taggant and can be used in combination with other detectable taggants, such as optical reporters.