Abstract: The packaged medical article can comprise the medical article and a protective layer capable of inhibiting exposure of the medical article to a color change activator prior to use of the medical article. The medical article comprises a plastic portion and an active color changing specie, wherein the color changing specie is capable of changing color after exposure to a color change activator. The method for producing a medical article can comprise: combining thermoplastic resin with a blocked color changing specie to form a resin mixture and manufacture processing the resin mixture to form a packaged medical article. This manufacturing processing comprises forming the resin mixture into the medical article and packaging the medical article to form a packaged medical article. The color changing specie will not affect the structural integrity of the medical article when it changes color.

Abstract: A media drive is disclosed. In one embodiment, a media drive can comprise: a disk holder, a drive laser, a disk reader, and a luminescence detector. The disk holder can be capable of applying a rotational force to a media disk. The drive laser is disposed so that light from the laser will be incident on the media disk when it is disposed in the disk holder. The disk reader is disposed to receive data from the media disk. A method for authenticating a media disk is also disclosed. The method can comprises: disposing the article in a reader, illuminating at least a portion of the article with the information reader, monitoring a luminescence emission of the illuminated article, and determining if the luminescence emission is consistent with an authentic article. If a luminescent material is present, the information reader excites the luminescent material to create a luminescence emission.

Abstract: An authenticatable article can comprise a polymer layer comprising a first taggant, and a second taggant disposed adjacent to the first taggant. The relative relationship of the first taggant and the second taggant can be such that at least one of the first taggant and the second taggant can cause an alteration in an emission from the other of the first taggant and the second taggant. One method of authenticating an article comprises illuminating an article and determining if an altered emission is within a selected emission range. The article comprises a polymer layer and a coating disposed on a side of the polymer layer. The polymer layer comprises a first taggant, and the coating causes a predetermined alteration in an emission from the taggant to form the altered emission.

Abstract: A sensor film as well as a method and sensor array for detecting at least one analyte is described. The method of detecting at least one analyte includes providing at least one sensor, disposing at least one sensor film on the sensor, placing the sensor disposed with the sensor film in an environment that may contain at least one analyte, and relating at least one quantitative response to the concentration of the analyte.

Abstract: An authentication system may comprise: a first light source, a second light source, and at least three optically filtered light sensing devices for detecting analog emission intensity in a spectral sensitivity range, wherein each light sensing device is in operable communication with the first light source and/or the second light source. The first light source can have a first light source spectral distribution and can be capable of providing sufficient excitation to produce a photoluminescent emission from a medium comprising a luminescent tag and a color. The second light source can have a visible multi-wavelength spectral distribution and can be capable of providing sufficient visible multi-wavelength illumination of the medium to generate a second analog response, wherein the second analog response is different from the photoluminescent emission.

Abstract: A method for imparting tags to a media article, comprising: modifying predetermined locations on the article to change a surface energy of the predetermined locations, applying the tags to a surface of the article, and retaining the tags in the modified predetermined locations while the tags are removed from unmodified regions.

Abstract: A portable system and method for measuring the concentration of multiple chemical or biological substances where an onsite analysis of such substances is needed. The new and original handheld sensor system uses a disposable optical test element and a spectroscopic detector that measures the test element response to specific analytes through a change in light absorbance, luminescence, and other forms of light-based response. In this way, reflection light intensities indicative of the test element response can be used to measure the concentration of the target analytes. The sensor system is also capable of being interfaced to an information processing unit or computer so that analytical data can be manipulated or stored electronically.

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring the performance of a distributed system is provided. The distributed system comprises a plurality of cooperating units disposed in a communications network. The apparatus comprises a plurality of diagnostic components wherein each unit of the system comprises at least one of the diagnostic components. Each diagnostic component comprises a sensor, a data reduction module, a transceiver and a data analysis module. The sensors sense unit performance characteristics and represent the characteristics as raw data. The data reduction module receives and processes the raw data produced by the sensors to generate reduced data. The transceiver receives the reduced data from the data reduction module and transmits and receives the reduced data to and from the units using the network. The data analysis module accepts and analyzes the reduced data from the transceiver to produce performance data related to the distributed system.

Abstract: Sensor devices are disclosed possessing substrates having enhanced resistance to solvents. The sensor device (10) has a sensor region (12) deposited on a substrate (14). In optional embodiments, a protecting layer (16) is applied over the sensor region. The substrates include polycarbonates combined with solvent resistance-imparting monomers that result in a copolycarbonate substrate immune to attack by organic solvents commonly used in sensor deposition and improve the quality of the deposited sensor regions.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for authenticating that an article is an authenticatable article. The method uses an optical tester, the optical tester comprising an electromagnetic radiation source and a detector. The authenticatable article comprises a heat responsive compound having a temperature dependent optical interaction with the electromagnetic radiation source in the presence of a heat stimulus to produce a heat induced electromagnetic radiation signature.

Abstract: Methods for applying sensor materials to optical storage media substrates are disclosed. After exposure to a sample of interest, the resulting sensors may be read in optical storage media drives for quantitative analysis of physical, chemical and biological parameters of the sample.

Abstract: An authenticable optical disc and a system and method for authenticating the optical disc are provided. The optical disc comprising a reflective layer; an optically transparent substrate disposed between the reflective layer and a light incident surface of the optical disc; a data layer disposed between the substrate and the reflective layer, the data layer including a predetermined signature; and at least one measurable feature, wherein the at least one feature is compared to the predetermined signature for authenticating the optical disc. The method comprises the steps of preparing an optical disc with at least one optical feature; measuring intensity of transmitted light from the at least one optical feature; and comparing the measured intensity to a predetermined signature, wherein if the measured intensity and predetermined signature matches, access to the optical disc is granted.

Abstract: A system and method employing optical disc drives for quantitative analysis of physical, chemical and biochemical parameters are provided. The system including a disc drive for supporting and rotating an optical disc including at least one sensor spot; a light source for directing light onto the sensor spot; at least one optical pickup for detecting light transmitted from the sensor spot, the transmitted light being indicative of a concentration of a compound; and an analog-to-digital converter for quantifying an intensity of the transmitted light. The method comprising the steps of preparing the optical disc with a plurality of sensor spots, the sensor spots being responsive to a compound; exposing the optical disc to a fluid; measuring intensity of transmitted light from at least one of the plurality of sensor spots; and correlating the measured intensity of transmitted light to an amount of compound exposed to the optical disc.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of authenticating that a test polymer is an authenticatable polymer, wherein the authenticatable polymer has an authentication signal and comprises a substrate polymer and an optically variable tag, the optically variable tag having a fluorescence emission whose wavelength or intensity change over time, the method comprising subjecting the test polymer to a stimulus sufficient to cause fluorescence of the optically variable tag, determining a test signal from the fluorescence of the test polymer, and authenticating that the test polymer is an authenticatable polymer if the test signal is the same as the authentication signal of the authenticatable polymer.

Abstract: A system and method employing optical disk drives for quantitative analysis of chemical and biochemical parameters, in which sensor materials disposed on an optical disk are responsive to physical, chemical, biochemical, and other parameters in the environment. The light interacts with the sensor materials when the light propagates through the sensor material, reflects off the optical media's reflective layer, and propagates back through the sensor region. The interacted light is captured by a photodetector, which outputs a response analog signal, for example, an analog voltage signal, which is indicative of a condition of the environment to which the sensor materials have been exposed. The system includes software algorithms which cause the laser source and optical detector to move to a specified location or logical block address of the disk, measure the optical signal during disk rotation, display a map of the sensor material response, and reduce the noise level in the measured signal.

Abstract: A system and method employing optical disc drives for quantitative analysis of physical, chemical and biochemical parameters are provided. The system includes a robotic arm for transmitting a disc including at least one sensor spot through a variety of stations that include dipping the disc into a source of a compound, removing excess amounts of the source, optically scanning the disc, and discarding the disc. The optical drive may be a stand-alone reader in communication with an external computing device. The output of the optical scan may be transmitted from the optical scanner to the computing device via universal serial bus, Ethernet interface, or wireless connection.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for authenticating that a test polymer is an authenticatable polymer is disclosed wherein the authenticatable polymer comprises a substrate polymer and a thermochromic compound, the thermochromic compound having a first signal at a first temperature and at an authenticating wavelength, and a second signal at an authenticating temperature and the authenticating wavelength, the first and second signals being different, and the authenticating temperature being greater than the first temperature, the method comprising subjecting the test polymer to a stimulus sufficient to raise a portion of the test polymer to the authenticating temperature to create a heated portion, determining a test signal of the heated portion of the test polymer at the authenticating wavelength, and authenticating that the test polymer is an authenticatable polymer if the test signal is the same as an authenticating signal of the authenticatable polymer.

Abstract: A polymer comprising a tagging material is provided wherein the tagging material comprises at least one organic fluorophore dye, or at least one inorganic fluorophore, or at least one organometallic fluorophore, or at least one semi-conducting luminescent nanoparticle, or combination thereof, wherein the tagging material has a temperature stability of at least about 350° C. and is present in a sufficient quantity such that the tagging material is detectible via a spectrofluorometer at an excitation wavelength in a range between about 100 nanometers and about 1100 nanometers. Further embodiments of the present invention include a method for identifying a polymer and an article comprising a polymer wherein the polymer contains the aforementioned tagging material.

Abstract: A system for creating a combinatorial coating sensor library comprises a delivery mechanism in fluid communication with a source of organic polymer reactants and a substrate having at least one delivery area; a reaction source operative to apply at least one reactive environment to the delivery area; and a controller in communication with the delivery mechanism in a manner effective to apply a plurality of organic reactants to the substrate, and further wherein the controller is in communication with the reaction source in a manner effective to react at least one of the plurality of organic reactants on the substrate into an organic block copolymer coating.

Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a method and system are provided for analyzing the adhesion of a coating. The method comprises the steps of directing light into the coating, using an image detector to collect light and fluorescence images from the coating/substrate combination, and applying a set of analysis tests to the collected light and fluorescence images. In another aspect of the invention, a method and system are provided for quantitatively analyzing the spatially resolved curing condition of a coating. The method comprises the steps of providing a coating with a fluorophore that is responsive to a defined curing condition, applying the coating onto a substrate, and using the defined curing process to cure the coating. The method comprises the further steps of using an image detector to collect fluroescence image from the coating, and applying a set of analysis tests to the fluorescence image.