Fractal Identification System for Medication

Ai Cure Technologies LLC成立于2009年，旨在开发计算机视觉解决方案，以确保更安全的药物使用。该SBIR第一阶段将允许Ai Cure Technologies证明创新识别和防伪标签解决方案的可行性，该解决方案取代传统条形码并利用自相似特性， 分形编码和打印独特的安全分形图案直接到药丸或胶囊。该SBIR第一阶段将允许演示该解决方案的技术可行性， 将测试是否可以将分形图案打印到药丸上，然后用计算机视觉软件识别。准确识别和验证药丸的能力使药物能够正确地处方和管理。然而，药品的包装和标签并不是药品真伪的标志。病人和医疗保健专业人员几乎不可能根据他们的身体特征识别药丸，并破译药丸的印记，其独特的识别代码。因此，假药和用药错误这两个问题--两者都取决于药丸的识别--很难得到遏制。用药错误严重加重了公共卫生负担。1.5在美国，每年有100万人因用药错误而受到伤害，仅医院的费用就约为35亿美元。药丸的物理外观起着很大的作用-据估计，药丸的包装和标签负责三分之一的用药错误。世界上超过10%的药物是假药，在发展中国家的某些药物中，这一比例上升到50%。假药市场估计每年在750亿美元至2000亿美元之间，并且在监管严格的国家正在增长。每年有100 000人死于假药，发病率不详，因为不合格或假药也是造成抗药性、治疗失败和危险健康后果的原因。由于药物在供应链中多次重新包装和转手，因此直接的药丸和胶囊标签为药物识别提供了更强大的解决方案。虽然条形码可用于序列化单个药丸，但它们的固定设计不适合药丸和胶囊中的形状、颜色、质地变化。此外，条形码易于复制，需要固定的表面区域和特定的对齐以进行打印，并且如果由于处理或损坏而发生阻塞，则无法使用。此外，物品的物理属性与条形码本身不同。Ai Cure Technologies将为制药商提供Fractal-ID（tm），一种药物识别和认证解决方案。该解决方案将为制造商配备打印机， 一个安全的分形标签库的许可证;消费者将可以使用免费的计算机视觉软件应用程序来识别分形药丸;调查人员将获得更高分辨率的认证工具。 公共卫生相关性：准确识别和验证药丸的能力使药物能够正确处方和管理。因此，假药和用药错误这两个问题--两者都取决于药丸的识别--很难得到遏制。Ai Cure Technologies将为药丸和胶囊提供药物识别解决方案，使制造商，防伪调查人员和患者能够识别和验证药物。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Ai Cure Technologies LLC, was established in 2009 to develop computer vision solutions to ensure safer medication usage. This SBIR Phase I will allow Ai Cure Technologies to prove feasibility of an innovative identification and anti-counterfei labeling solution that replaces traditional barcodes and utilizes the self-similarity properties of fractals to encode and print unique secure fractal patterns directly onto pills or capsules. This SBIR Phase I will allow technical feasibility of this solution, Fractal-ID", to be demonstrated and will test if a fractal pattern can be printed onto a pill and then recognized with computer vision software. The ability to accurately identify and authenticate pills enables medication to be correctly prescribed and administered. Yet a drug's packaging and labeling is not a stamp of authenticity. It is almost impossible for patients and healthcare professionals to identify pills based on their physical characteristics and to decipher the pill's imprint, its unique identifying code. As a result, the twin problems of counterfeit medication and medication errors - both of which depend upon pill identification - are very difficult to stem. Medication errors contribute heavily to the public health burden. 1.5 million people are harmed every year in the US because of medication errors and the cost for hospitals alone is approximately $3.5 billion. The physical appearances of pills play a large part - it is estimated that a pill's packaging and labeling are responsible for one third of medication errors. More than 10% of the world's drugs are counterfeit, rising to 50% for certain drugs in developing countries. The counterfeit drug market is estimated to be between $75 and $200 billion per year and is growing in countries with strict regulations. 100,000 deaths are attributed to counterfeit drugs every year and there is an unknown morbidity toll since substandard or counterfeit medicines are also responsible for drug resistance, therapeutic failure and dangerous health outcomes. Since medications are repackaged and change hands many times in the supply chain, direct pill and capsule labeling offers a more robust solution to medication identification. While barcodes may be used to serialize individual pills, their fixed designs are unsuitable for the shape, color, texture variablity found in pills and capsules. Furthermore, barcodes are easy to replicate, require fixed surface areas and specific alignment for printing, and are rendered unusable if occlusion occurs due to handling or damage. In addition, the item's physical attributes are distinct from the barcode itself. Ai Cure Technologies will offer pharmaceutical manufacturers, Fractal-ID(tm), a medication identification and authentication solution. The solution will equip manufacturers with printers and a license to a secure fractal label library; consumers will have access to a free computer vision software application to identify fractal pills; and investigators will be provided with higher resolution authentication tools. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The ability to accurately identify and authenticate pills enables medication to be correctly prescribed and administered. As a result, the twin problems of counterfeit medication and medication errors - both of which depend upon pill identification - are very difficult to stem. Ai Cure Technologies will offer a medication identification solution for pils and capsules that will allow manufacturers, anti-counterfeit investigators, and patients to identif and authenticate medication.