Designing LiTaO₃:Ln³⁺,Eu³⁺ (Ln = Tb or Pr) perovskite dosimeter with excellent charge carrier storage capacity and stability for anti-counterfeiting and flexible X-ray imaging

Developing X-ray charged dosimeters with excellent charge carrier storage capacity and stability is challenging. Such energy storage dosimeters have fascinating use in developing novel applications, for instance, in radiation detection, advanced multimode anti-counterfeiting, and flexible X-ray imaging of curved objects. Herein, novel LiTaO...

Microfluidic Synthesis of Hydrogel Microparticles with Superparamagnetic Colloids Embedded at Prescribed Positions for Anticounterfeiting Applications

A microfluidic platform for continuous synthesis of hydrogel microparticles with superparamagnetic colloids (SPCs) embedded at prescribed positions is described. The shape of the cross-linked microparticle is independently controlled by stop–flow lithography, whereas the position of trapped SPCs are dictated by virtual magnetic moulds made of...

Ion beam analysis (IBA) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) for forensic characterisation of authentic Viagra® and of sildenafil-based illegal products

Illegal trafficking of pharmaceutical products by criminal organisations is a global threat for public health. Drugs for erectile dysfunction such as phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors are the most commonly counterfeited medicines in Europe. The search of possible toxic chemical substances in seized products is needed to provide early...

Medicine tablet authentication using fingerprints of ink-jet printed characters

Counterfeit drugs have been a serious problem causing damage to people's health over the world. Numerous anti-counterfeiting methods based on tagging have been proposed; however, they suffer from three major issues: (1) tagging is applicable only to packages, not tablets directly; (2) end-users, i.e., patients, cannot inspect the tags; (3)...

Coordinated risk management for supply chain and government

This paper aims at studying the coordination of governmental actors, such as customs, and supply chain partners in order to mitigate risks. To do so the concepts of supply chain visibility and data pipeline are briefly revisited. Then the result of a survey, highlighting the risk coordination challenges, carried with customs and supply chain...

Counterfeit construction products from low-cost sourcing countries

Counterfeiting has been around since ancient times. Counterfeiting in modern times was once widespread and not confined to any geographic region. With the globalization efforts following World War II, counterfeiting became an international problem, much of it emanating from Japan’s developing manufacturing-based economy. As Japan’s economy...

Cluster optical coding – from biochips to counterfeit security

Spatially tuned resonant nano-clusters allow high local field enhancement when excited by electromagnetic radiation. A number of phenomena has been described and subsequently applied for the construction of novel nano- and bionano-devices. Easy to manufacture, cost efficient and high throughput transducers using metal cluster resonance...