In the realm of online pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, differentiating between genuine products and counterfeits can be a daunting task. To address this concern, the SmartID system has introduced a counterfeit-resistant barcode mechanism. According to MedicalXpress, this system allows individuals to verify the authenticity of a product using their smartphone, even without a database connection, as long as the manufacturer utilizes SmartID.
SmartID is the result of a collaborative effort between Fraunhofer institutes and aims to combat the issue of counterfeit medicines and other products. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that around one in 10 medicines purchased online are counterfeit. This includes a wide range of products, from lifestyle medications to critical drugs such as those used for cancer treatment or pain relief.
The Fraunhofer Institutes for Applied Polymer Research IAP, for Secure Information Technology SIT, and for Open Communication Systems FOKUS have developed SmartID to enable end-users to authenticate various products. Dr. Tobias Jochum, the project coordinator at the Fraunhofer Center for Applied Nanotechnology CAN, explained that SmartID allows stakeholders across the supply chain to verify products offline using their smartphones. The unique surface texture of the packaging, similar to a human fingerprint, can be captured standard smartphone cameras and digitized into a barcode. The SmartID app then compares the barcode information with the data derived from the surface texture to determine product authenticity.
The development of SmartID has focused on making the barcode smaller and more efficient in comparing surface textures. The team is exploring the use of advanced materials like quantum materials to detect more details on a smaller surface area.
The research team has been working on perfecting the SmartID system for three years. Industries such as interior design, mechanical engineering, printing, and even the medical field have expressed interest in utilizing SmartID. Discussions about licensing SmartID have already begun, and partnerships with companies like Evia Research GmbH indicate its potential use in the fashion industry for protecting products with unique surface textures.
“With SmartID, everyone in the supply chain can verify and authenticate a product that carries a SmartID code directly via a smartphone, without having to connect to a database,” said Dr. Jochum.
The SmartID system will be showcased at the MEDICA 2023 event in Düsseldorf, Germany, from November 13 to 16. As the project progresses, SmartID has the potential to revolutionize product authentication and combat the issue of counterfeit goods in various industries.