Dispensing system for applying DNA taggants used in combinations to tag articles
Inventors
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Assignees
Safe Traces Inc • Safetraces Inc
MemberSafeTracesSafeTracesSafeTraces provides technology-driven solutions for indoor air quality validation, biosafety, and supply chain traceability. The company specializes in aerosol tracing, DNA-based product tagging, rapid qPCR detection, and cloud-based analytics. Clients span healthcare, infrastructure, real estate, food, and government sectors, supporting regulatory compliance, operational safety, and risk management.
SafeTraces provides technology-driven solutions for indoor air quality validation, biosafety, and supply chain traceability. The company specializes in aerosol tracing, DNA-based product tagging, rapid qPCR detection, and cloud-based analytics. Clients span healthcare, infrastructure, real estate, food, and government sectors, supporting regulatory compliance, operational safety, and risk management.
Publication Number
US-11801512-B2
Publication Date
2023-10-31
Expiration Date
Abstract
A dispersant system comprises a plurality of taggant vessels, each having a taggant that corresponds to a position in a tag string and a computer controller convert the tag string into a selection of a taggant set while computer-controlled valves allow or block a flow of taggants to a manifold output tube. From the output tube, a mix of the taggants flow to form a dispersant formed according to the tag string. A nozzle disperses the dispersant onto an object to be tagged, possibly atomized with air. The taggant can comprise a DNA taggant comprising a static portion and a dynamic portion that is unique to each tag string position. Tag strings for adjacent lots might have a low Hamming distances to reduce cross-contamination and/or have redundancy for error detection and correction and selected so that consumption of taggants evens out over the plurality of taggant vessels.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a dispersant system for applying DNA taggants to an object to be tagged. The system includes a plurality of taggant vessels holding taggants with a static portion shared across vessels and a dynamic portion unique to each vessel, so each taggant is distinguishable from another taggant. A computer controller determines a tag string and converts the tag string into a selection of a taggant set corresponding to selected taggant vessels.
The selected taggant set is implemented using a manifold and a plurality of computer-controlled valves that allow or block flow of taggants to the manifold according to the taggant set. The manifold output tube outputs a mix of the taggants to form a dispersant formed according to the tag string. A nozzle disperses the dispersant onto the object to be tagged.
The invention further supports controllable taggant selection using character-value-based logic in the computer controller, where a character at a position in the tag string that corresponds to a taggant enables flow for a first value and blocks flow for a second value that is different from the first value. The system also includes clearing/flushing to prevent carryover between tag strings, and supports selecting tag strings for different lots using constraints such as low Hamming distance, redundancy for error detection or error recovery, and balancing taggant consumption across vessels.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims cover both a dispersant system and methods that determine a tag string, convert it into a selected set of taggant vessels, route taggants to a manifold via computer-controlled valves, form a dispersant mix through a manifold output tube, and disperse it onto an object using a nozzle. The inventive features include unique distinguishability of DNA taggants using static and dynamic portions, character-value-based valve control, and tag-string selection and operational controls including flushing, Hamming distance, redundancy, and evened consumption.
Static and dynamic distinguishability of DNA taggants
A plurality of taggant vessels wherein each taggant includes a static portion present in each taggant and a unique dynamic portion such that each taggant is distinguishable from a second taggant from a second taggant vessel.
Tag-string to taggant set selection by controller logic
A computer controller including logic to determine a tag string and convert the tag string into a selection of a taggant set corresponding to selected taggant vessels.
Valve-controlled routing to manifold and manifold output tube dispersant formation
A manifold and a plurality of computer-controlled valves configured to allow or block a flow of taggants to the manifold according to the taggant set, and a manifold output tube configured to output a mix of the taggants that flow to form a dispersant formed according to the tag string.
Character-value-based flow allow/block control
Computer controller logic to allow for flow of a first taggant when a character at a position in the tag string that corresponds to the first taggant is a first value and to block flow of the first taggant when the character is a second value, wherein the first value is different from the second value.
Hamming-distance-based selection between lots
Logic to select a second tag string for a second lot based on the Hamming distance from a first tag string for a first lot.
Redundancy-based tag-string selection for error detection and recovery
Logic to select the tag string from possible tag strings incorporating redundancy, including recovering from errors or detecting errors when the dispersant is sampled to detect the taggant set used and determine the tag string.
Evened taggant consumption across vessels via tag-string selection
Logic to select a tag string from possible tag strings for different lots so that taggant consumption is evened across a plurality of taggant vessels.
Flush between tag-string changes to prevent carryover
Logic to flush the manifold output tube and the nozzle when changing the tag string from a first tag string to a second tag string.
Across the independent claims, the core coverage centers on mapping a tag string to a selected set of taggant vessels, forming a dispersant mix through manifold routing controlled by computer-controlled valves, and dispersing the mix onto an object via a nozzle. The main inventive aspects explicitly include static and dynamic distinguishability of DNA taggants, character-value-based valve allow/block control, and operational and tag-string selection constraints including flushing, Hamming-distance-based selection across lots, redundancy for error detection or error recovery, and evened consumption across taggant vessels.
Stated Advantages
Enables distinguishability of taggants by providing a shared static portion and unique dynamic portions.
Supports reducing cross-contamination by clearing/flushing between tag strings.
Enables error detection and error correction using redundancy for possible tag strings.
Supports selecting tag strings for different lots using low Hamming distance to reduce cross-contamination.
Balances taggant consumption across multiple taggant vessels through tag-string selection.
Documented Applications
Tagging objects using a nozzle that disperses a dispersant formed according to a tag string.
Using DNA taggants to label an object with distinguishable taggant mixes formed according to tag strings.
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