A typical marker is illustrated in the picture above left, sitting on a ridge of a fingerprint, and magnified in the picture above right.
As described in US Patents 6,951,687 and 7,163,744, and international patents (please see our Patents page), we make these markers by embedding an asymmetric pattern, such as (but not limited to) a machine-readable data matrix, into a rod made of a thermoplastic polymer, drawing that rod into a thin fiber, and cutting that fiber into thin sections.
Since the fiber is typically about a kilometer in length, about 100 million markers, each 10 micrometers thick, can be made from each fiber. As a result, the unit cost of a marker in bulk (roughly 100,000,000 markers/ pound, depending on marker size) can be substantially below $0.001.
The markers can be made of biodegradable materials such as polylactic acid, a material used for 50+ years to make absorbable surgical sutures.
However, the markers can also be made from more durable thermoplastics, if the application is to mark durable objects, such as packaging materials (paper, plastics, or adhesives) or military/aviation equipment or parts subject to MIL-130 or similar marking requirements.
The markers are particularly well suited to applications where both the product and its packaging need to be marked, and to covert marking applications.
Additional information is available on request.
