We have developed a unique technology for producing next-generation invisible magnetic microcontainer tags, the microscopic equivalents of the existing RFID tags and QR codes. Invisible for consumers, these tags represent the microcontainers filled with magnetic nanoparticles with a unique magnetic signature that can be read by a quantum sensor.
Widely-used RFID tags are on a millimetre-scale and require special printers and an additional manufacturing step to attach them to products, which increases costs. In addition, the RFID tags cannot be incorporated into liquids or powders to label raw materials. The RFID tags are usually glued to the package, thus, can be easily removed. Also, they can be counterfeited once the RFID signature is intercepted.
Our innovative magnetic microcontainer tags solve these problems.
- The magnetic microcontainer tags can be incorporated into a vast range of materials: banknotes, paper, plastic, liquids or powders (oil, dyes, other raw materials).
- Their size is in the range of microns, they can be custom-shaped and made from highly stable polymers.
- Made from biocompatible and biodegradable materials, the tags can be used to label medical products and devices.
- They are almost impossible to counterfeit (the tags are incorporated directly into the products, and their magnetic signature is too sophisticated to copy).
- They are a very low-cost option as printing and scanning equipment is relatively inexpensive. Less than one gram of magnetic microcontainer tags is required to label millions of products. Also, the tags are incorporated directly into products at the production stage, thereby, reducing the costs.
The potential applications of our programmable microcontainer technology are enormous.
