3D barcode allows data-rich labelling

By Phil Taylor

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Pharmacology Pharmaceutical drug

One of the difficulties facing the pharmaceutical industry is the
sheer volume of information that has to be incorporated on drug
labelling and packaging, which often makes designing packaging more
a function of squeezing in material, rather than aesthetics.

Moreover, this situation is being exacerbated by increasing regulatory demands to include drug 'pedigree' information - tracking the manufacture and distribution of medicines - in order to guard against the growing problem of drug diversion and counterfeiting.

One possible solution - a tiny three-dimensional barcode that can contain a huge amount of data - has now been developed by researchers at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the UK.

David Mendels and Alexandre Cuenat, have developed 3D cubes - around 30 micrometres across and invisible to the naked eye - made of silicon and coated in plastic. The cubes can be drilled by an electron beam on all six faces in a 90,000-point grid. The pattern of this grid, achieved by the depth of the drilled holes, provides a huge capacity for storing data.

The technology is particularly useful as a covert means of storing data, as it is almost impossible to detect by sight or touch, requires specialist equipment to read the data and uses a high level of encryption, according to a report in New Scientist magazine.

The data on the cube can be scanned in as little as a minute, according to the NPL researchers. Companies are already talking to the NPL about incorporating the system into their products, but at a current price of around £1 per unit, its use will likely be restricted - at least in the first instance - to very high-value goods.

The need for technologies to help distinguish counterfeit drugs from their genuine counterparts was brought into focus by an investigative report published in the open-access health journal PloS Medicine in March, which suggested that up to 15 per cent of all drugs sold worldwide - worth of $35 billion (€25bn) - are fakes.

Related topics Drug Delivery QA/QC

Related news

Show more

Related product

Understanding the hidden value of quality

Understanding the hidden value of quality

Content provided by Thermo Fisher Scientific – Production Chemicals and Services | 16-Jan-2023 | White Paper

The raw material supply is too vital to leave to chance, and quality-related supply chain activities are cornerstones to your success.