text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Aug 13, 2002
|Filing date
|Feb 24, 1998
|Priority date
|Feb 24, 1998
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Gregory Wayne Nelson, James John Krutak, Sr.
|Original Assignee
|Isotag Technology, Inc.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (32), Non-Patent Citations (7), Referenced by (74), Classifications (12), Legal Events (14)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
The present invention relates to an improved method for marking individual microparticles of a substance for the purpose of subsequent identification. A further aspect of the invention relates to the microparticles themselves which include therein a near infrared fluorophore.
There has long been interest in methods for identifying various substances by incorporating materials which provide, possibly in coded form, information about the source, date, and lot or batch number of the material. Although there are other obvious applications for such "taggants", the need for identification of explosives and certain bulk chemicals which can be used to make explosives has become increasingly urgent with the increase in the use of explosives in terrorism. It is desirable for the manufacturer to be able to incorporate small particles ("microtaggants") into an explosive, some of which will survive the explosion, and which upon recovery from the debris of the explosion will provide information about the manufacturer, as well as the date of manufacture and the particular lot of the explosive. Reference to the manufacturer's records would make it possible to trace the explosive to the final seller and possibly to the ultimate purchaser.
There are many occasions on which it is necessary or desirable to mark items or materials so that ownership or the original manufacturer can be established. It is also frequently desired to include in the identification information such as the date of manufacture and, in case the items are made in different batches or lots, the particular lot with which the item is associated.
A color code of some sort is, of course, an obvious method of identification and a system of this sort has been used for many years for indicating the resistance value of small electrical resistors and capacitors. For resistors, colored bands corresponding to the first and the second significant figures of the resistance value, followed by a third band corresponding to a decimal multiplier provide a simple code. The color of each band further provides a multiplier for that band. Additional bands may be used to indicate the percent tolerance, or accuracy, of the indicated resistance value, and the percent change in resistance value per 1000 hours of use.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,053,433 and 4,390,452 (Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co.) contain reviews of a number of methods for identifying units of production of bulk substances with identifying microparticles having properties different from the properties of particles previously determined to be present in the bulk material. Analytical methods used to identify such particles include microscopy (for size, shape, color, phosphorescence, or fluorescence); determination of density, hardness, or trace ingredients; or spectrometry to measure light absorption; fluorimetry; or reflectance. More specific examples include tagging with refractory microparticles containing low levels of elements such as manganese, cobalt, zinc, etc. The identity and amount of each of which may be varied to provide an identification code. It is obvious that these methods are not adaptable to coding for more than a very small amount of information.
Isotopes of the various elements may be used in the same way. However, complicated equipment not readily available to law enforcement personnel is required for identification.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,433 describes the use of microparticles which are encoded with an orderly sequence of visually distinguishable colored segments. Decoding of the microparticles can be accomplished with the aid of a microscope or other magnifying device. According to this patent, identification is provided by incorporating the encoded microparticles into the substance and subsequently examining the substance for encoded microparticles. In practice, the microparticles consist of refractory particles containing bands of various colors, which are ordered in the polymer to provide a code which may be read under a microscope. By using this technique, it is possible to provide up to C*(C−1)n−1 uniquely coded batches, where C is the number of available colors and n is the number of segments in the color sequence. According to this formula, if a library of 12 colors is used in an eight-layered sequence, with no color adjacent to itself, a total of 233,846,052 codes are possible if the code is read in one direction. Half that number of codes is possible if the colors are arranged so that the same code may be read in either direction. The broadest dimension across the color sequence of the particles is between 1 and 1000 microns, and preferably between 50 microns to 250 microns.
Although this method is extremely flexible and provides a large number of codes, the desired size of the particles requires that the coding colors be laid down with great accuracy and in extremely thin layers. Since each layer can contain only one visible color, the maximum number of layers for a very small particle is four. Assuming that seven different colors are available for use, the number of possible codes is 756.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,390,452 describes an improvement over U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,433 in which the microparticles contain at least one flat surface which bears identifying indicia selected from alphanumerics and symbols which can be visually interpreted under magnification. According to this patent, this top layer is photosensitive, so that the identifying indicia may be applied to the surface by exposing it to an ultraviolet light.
The prior art cited in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,053,433 and 4,390,452 is included herein by reference.
Taggants have been used in Switzerland for the identification of explosives since about 1980. These include "microtaggants" such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,053,433 and U.S. 4,390,452; and those available commercially, such as "HF-6" (Swiss Blasting AG), which has a code consisting of several layers of color, each of which represents a distinctive feature of this particular product; and "Explotracer" (Societe Suisse des Explosifs), which consists of a basic polymer marked with fluorescent pigments and rare earth elements. The code is based upon the melting point of the polymer and the identity of the elements which are included in it.
It is necessary not only for the taggant particles to be identifiable, but they must also be isolated for identification. Especially in the case of an explosion, the very small particles are widely scattered and must be separated and isolated from a large amount of extraneous debris. This has been done by incorporating finely divided iron or other magnetic particles in the micro taggants, or by incorporating ultraviolet dyes or pigments which render them visible when illuminated by ultraviolet light. However, magnetic material is almost universally dispersed in the environment, and a large amount of extraneous material is inevitably recovered with the microtaggant.
The incorporation of ultraviolet fluorescent material as an aid to locating the microtaggants is also subject to a great deal of interference. Many materials which are present in the environment also fluoresce in the UV region so that, again, isolating the microtaggant from extraneous material is complicated. UV fluorescence is also easily quenched or masked by other materials which may be present in the debris from an explosion. Another disadvantage of using a UV fluorescent compound is that it must be place on one of the exposed surfaces of the microtaggant since most pigments and dyes used to make a layered microtaggant would interfere with the UV fluorescent material by absorbing the fluorescent light. (The Physics and Chemistry of Color The Fifteen Causes of Color, Kurt Nassau, pp. 4-19, U.S. (1983)). Finally, materials which fluoresce in the visible region are difficult or impossible to detect during examination of debris in daylight or artificial light.
Accordingly, there is a need for a microparticle taggant that can readily be identified and that overcomes the above described disadvantages.
Briefly, the present invention provides for a method for identifying and/or locating solid particulate materials by incorporating a marker or taggant into the materials. In accordance with the invention, the marker or taggant is a near infrared fluorophore which is readily detected and identified by using an appropriate detection device known to those skilled in the invisible marking art.
It is another aspect of the invention to provide an encoded microparticle having a near infrared fluorophore incorporated therein. Desirably the microparticle has a plurality of distinguishable juxtaposed layers and the near infrared fluorophore is incorporated into at least one of the layers.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method for identifying a material by including a microparticle therein. More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a means for identifying a material by incorporating a near infrared fluorophore compound into the microparticle.
It is another object of the invention to provide a microparticle which can be used to carry out the method of the invention.
Advantageously, the present method and microparticles used therein can be of any desired shape, including spherical, cylindrical, polyhedral or any other shape that may facilitate or assist in the identification of the material incorporating the near infrared fluorophore.
Numerous other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the appended claims.
The present invention relates to a method for marking items or materials, particularly those which are intended to be sold or used in commerce in solid or particulate form, with a large amount of coded information useful for identification. The present invention further relates to a microparticle useful in the method of the invention.
The microparticle of the invention has incorporated therein at least one near infrared fluorophore in a sufficient amount to permit detection of the microparticle. Advantageously, the near infrared fluorophore permits the microparticle to be readily detected using means and methods known to those skilled in the art of detecting fluorescing compounds. With regards to the microparticles themselves, in one embodiment, the microparticle has a spherical shape and includes a center portion or nucleus. The sphere may further include one or more layers of colored or dyed layers of material concentrically coated to encapsulate the nucleus. Each layer coated on the nucleus has a thickness of from about 5 microns to about 25 microns with from about 5 to 15 microns being preferred. In accordance with the invention, the nucleus and/or one or more layers of the coating material contains a near infrared fluorophore.
The core or nucleus of the microparticle may be any monofilament having a diameter sufficiently small to meet the prescribed requirements, desirably from about 25 to about 250 microns and more desirably from about 25 to about 200 microns. It is possible to build concentric layers up around the monofilament nucleus so that the microparticle comprises a plurality of layers encoded by a sequence of visually distinguishable dyed or pigmented layers, where at least one layer includes a near infrared fluorophore. In a preferred embodiment, the microparticle has at least three (3) layers and a diameter of from about 1 micron to about 1000 microns at its broadest dimension across the color sequences.
Choice of materials comprising the core or nucleus of the microparticle will depend, in part, on the material to be marked or tagged, their ultimate use, the ability of the microparticle to survive further processing, and the ability of forming a sufficiently strong bond with the immediate surrounding layer. Suitable core materials for most purposes include plastics such as polyolefins and polyacrylates, polyesters, modified cellulose, waxes, glass bubbles and biodegradable materials such as albumin, gum, gelatin, and polyvinylpyrrolidone.
The colored layers encircling the core may be applied to the core by conventional methods including fluid or spouting bed, ball mill, dipping, or pharmaceutical pill coating processes. A preferred method for applying a layer to a spherical microparticle is through the use of a Wurster coater as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,241,520. The color resin may be dissolved or dispersed in a fugitive solvent, or if the pigment exists in a liquid system of low viscosity, or it may be applied without using a solvent.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the microparticles are not limited to different geometric configuration to facilitate their separation or recognition from the bulk material into which they are incorporated, although such geometrical configurations are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the microparticle may be any shape including spherical, cylindrical, polyhedral or any other shape which may further facilitate or assist in the identification of the material incorporating the near infrared fluorophore.
In another embodiment of the invention, the microparticles consist of a plurality of pieces of colored plastic films fused together to form a rectangular hexahedron having color segments in sequence with the layers generally parallel to one face. The thickness of each film can be from about 12 microns to about 200 microns.
In another embodiment, the microparticles are a plurality of layers formed from sheets of a different colored organic cross-linkable resin which is sufficiently flexible and resilient to form a wide sheet of good integrity. The near infrared fluorophore compound is incorporated into at least one of these layers. After forming a predetermined number of identification layers, desirably, they are crosslinked to form a brittle state which is easily comminuted at room temperature into the desired sizes. Alternatively, the sheet may be chilled until brittle. If this is impracticable, the sheet can be fibrillated and the resultant fibers chopped to provide desirably small microparticles.
Such layered microparticles can be manufactured by the process of making an organic sheet of substantially uniform thickness, desirably having a total thickness not exceeding 500 microns, and preferably less than about 250 microns. The sheet may be formed on a flexible carrier having a low-adhesion surface but should have sufficient rigidity and strength so that the carrier can be cleanly peeled away. In order to build the sheet up to a uniform thickness, it may be desirable to sequentially apply a number of layers and desirably each layer is of a visually distinguishable color. Each layer may have a thickness of less than about 100 microns, desirably less than about 50 microns and preferably from about 5 microns to about 25 microns. The sheet is then comminuted at random to form a batch of microparticles, each having two flat surfaces, generally parallel to each other. Each microparticle has substantially the same thickness. The other surfaces of the microparticle may have irregular shapes.
The broadest dimension across the color sequence of the microparticle(s) described herein may be from 1 micron to about 1000 microns, but upper limits of 250-300 microns are preferred in order to provide large numbers of microparticles per unit weight. The preferred microparticles for use in the present invention range from 50 to 1000 microns at the broadest dimension. Advantageously, the size of the microparticle is not of any significance since such particles are detected through fluorescence. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the microparticles of the invention do not have to be visually observed under magnification for identification.
Any material which is capable of surviving explosive conditions (generally temperatures greater than about 300� C. for as long as a few seconds) may be used in forming the layers of the microtaggant particle. Many known thermoset resins and highly crosslinked resins are suitable. Some thermoplastic resins may also be suitable. A preferred material is a melamine/formaldehyde resin. It should also be appreciated that the composition of various resin layers may vary.
In a preferred embodiment, the microparticle can include a plurality of coating layers and at least two near infrared fluorophores, and more desirably, each fluorophore having a distinct and identifiable absorbance and fluorescence. The coating layer may be any material suitable for having dyes and/or a near infrared fluorophore admixed and/or copolymerized therein or coated thereon. Non-limiting examples of such materials include resins, cellulosic derivatives, polyesters, polyurethanes, polyamides and epoxy.
Suitable dyes or pigments which impart visual color to the particle layers are generally known in the art, and include, for example, inorganic pigments such as sulfates, chromates, sulfides, oxides, carbonates, and organic stable pigments. Suitable colors include red, blue, orange, black, violet, brown, yellow, fluorescent red, white, green, and fluorescent green. Such colorants are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,273, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Most frequently the visual dye or pigment is incorporated into the polymer by admixing the constituents. Generally only one color is incorporated into each layer to avoid color contamination. The near infrared fluorophores, which are described fully below, are used with or without other established marking methods.
The near infrared fluorophores of the invention possess excellent thermal stability and little light absorption in the visible region; that is, they must not impart interfering color to the particle layer in which they are incorporated. Also, they should have strong absorption of near infrared light (high molar extinction coefficients, e.g. >20,000) and have a strong fluorescence maximum in the near infrared between the wavelengths of about 670 to about 2500 nm. Suitable stability to sunlight and fluorescent light and low extractability or sublimation from the thermoplastic compositions are also preferred. To insure minimal interference with any visual color which is also added to a particular layer, the near infrared fluorophores preferably absorb little if any light having wavelengths in the 400-700 nm range; however, since the compounds are present in extremely low concentrations, a small amount of absorption may be tolerated without imparting significant color.
A class of preferred near infrared fluorophores useful in the practice of the invention are selected from the classes of phthalocyanines, naphthalocyanines and squaraines (derivatives of squaric acid) and correspond to Formulae I, II and III:
wherein Pc and Nc represent the phthalocyanine and naphthalocyanine moieties of Formulae Ia and IIa,
respectively, covalently bonded to hydrogen or to various metals, halometals, organometallic groups, and oxymetals including AlCl, AlBr, AlF, AlOH, AlOR5, AlSR5, Ge, Ge(OR6), Ga, InCl, Mg, SiCl2, SiF2, SnCl2, Sn(OR6)2, Si(OR6)2, Sn(SR6)2, Si(SR6)2, or Zn, wherein R5 and R6 are selected from hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, lower alkanoyl, trifluoroacetyl, groups of the formulae:
R7, R8 and R9 are independently selected from alkyl, phenyl or phenyl substituted with lower alkyl, lower alkoxy or halogen.
X is selected from oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium or a group of the formula N(R10), wherein R10 is hydrogen, cycloalkyl, alkyl, acyl, alkylsulfonyl, or aryl or R10 and R taken together form an aliphatic or aromatic ring with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached.
Y is selected from alkyl, halogen or hydrogen.
R is selected from unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, C3-C8 cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl,
(X—R) moiety is alkylsulfonylamino, arylsulfonylamino, or a group selected from the formulae —X(C2H4O)zR1,
wherein R1 is hydrogen or R as defined above; z is an integer of from 1-4.
Further two (X—R) moieties can be taken together to form divalent substituents of the formula:
wherein each X1 is independently selected from —O—, —S—, or —N(R10) and A is selected from ethylene; propylene; trimethylene; and such groups substituted with C1-C4 alkyl, C1-C4 alkoxy, aryl and cycloalkyl; 1,2-phenylene and 1,2-phenylene containing 1-3 substituents selected from C1-C4 alkyl, C1-C4 alkoxy, or halogen.
R1 and R2 are independently selected from hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, halogen, aryloxy, lower alkylthio, arylthio, lower alkylsulfonyl; arylsulfonyl; lower alkylsulfonylamino, arylsulfonylamino, cycloalkylsulfonylamino, carboxy, unsubstituted and substituted carbamoyl and sulfamoyl, lower alkoxycarbonyl, hydroxy, lower alkanoyloxy,
R3 and R4 are independently selected from hydrogen, lower alkyl, alkenyl or aryl; n and m can be an integer from 0-16, and n1 and m1 can be an integer from 0-24 provided that the sums of n+m and n1+m1 are 16 and 24, respectively. It is to be understood that when n, m, n1 and m1 is 0 the respective moiety is absent.
In a preferred embodiment of this aspect of the present invention m is from 4 to 12; m1 is from 0-8; provided that in the definitions of the substituents (Y)n1 (Y)n, and (X—R)m1 that these substituents are not present when n, n1 and m1 are zero, respectively. Substituents (X—R) and (Y) are present in compounds Ia on the peripheral carbon atoms, i.e., in positions 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25 and substituents (X—R) and (Y) are present on the peripheral carbon atoms of IIa, i.e., in positions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 36.
In the above definitions, the term alkyl is used to designate a straight or branched chained hydrocarbon radical containing 1-12 carbons.
In the terms lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, lower alkylthio, lower alkoxycarbonyl, lower alkanoyl and lower alkanoyloxy the alkyl portion of the groups contains 1-6 carbons and may contain a straight or branched chain.
The term "cycloalkyl" is used to represent a cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbon radical containing 3-8 carbons, preferably 5 to 7 carbons.
The alkyl and lower alkyl portions of the previously defined groups may contain as further substituents one or more groups selected from hydroxy, halogen, carboxy, cyano, C1-C4-alkoxy, aryl, C1-C4-alkylthio, arylthio, aryloxy, C1-C4-alkoxycarbonyl or C1-C4-alkanoyloxy.
The term "aryl" includes carbocyclic aromatic radicals containing 6-18 carbons, preferably phenyl and naphthyl, and such radicals substituted with one or more substituents selected from lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, halogen, lower alkylthio, N(lower alkyl)2, trifluromethyl, carboxy, lower alkoxycarbonyl, hydroxy, lower alkanoylamino, lower alkylsulfonylamino, arylsulfonylamino, cycloalkylsulfonylamino, lower alkanoyloxy, cyano, phenyl, phenylthio and phenoxy.
The term "heteroaryl" is used to represent mono or bi-cyclic hetero aromatic radicals containing at least one "hetero" atom selected from oxygen, sulfur and nitrogen or a combination of these atoms. Examples of suitable heteroaryl groups include: thiazolyl, benzothiazolyl, pyrazolyl, pyrrolyl, thienyl, furyl, thiadiazolyl, oxadiazolyl, benzoxazolyl, benzimidazolyl, pyridyl, pyrimidinyl and triazolyl. These heteroaryl radicals may contain the same substituents listed above as possible substituents for the aryl radicals. The term triazolyl also includes structure IV and mixed isomers thereof,
wherein R11 is hydrogen or selected from lower alkyl and lower alkyl substituted with one or two groups selected from hydroxy, halogen, carboxy, lower alkoxy, aryl, cyano, cycloalkyl, lower alkanoyloxy or lower alkoxycarbonyl.
The terms "alkenyl and alkynyl" are used to denote aliphatic hydrocarbon moiety having 3-8 carbons and containing at least one carbon-carbon double bond and one carbon-carbon triple bond, respectively.
The term halogen is used to include bromine, chlorine, fluorine and iodine.
The term "substituted alkyl" is used to denote a straight or branched chain hydrocarbon radical containing 1-12 carbon atoms and containing as substituents 1 or 2 groups selected from hydroxy, halogen, carboxy, cyano, C1-C4 alkoxy, aryl, C1-C4 alkylthio, arylthio, aryloxy, C1-C4 alkoxycarbonyl, or C1-C4 alkanoyloxy.
The term "substituted carbamoyl" is used to denote a radical having the formula —CONR12 R13, wherein R12 and R13 are selected from unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, or heteroaryl.
The term "substituted sulfamoyl" is used to denote a radical having the formula —SO2NR12R13, wherein R12 and R13 are as defined above.
The term "alkylene" refers to a divalent C1-C2 aliphatic hydrocarbon moiety, either straight or branched-chain, and either unsubstituted or substituted with one or more groups selected from lower alkoxy, halogen, aryl, or aryloxy.
The term "acyl" refers to a group of the formula RoC(O)—O—, wherein Ro is preferably a C1-C10 alkyl moiety. The term "alkyl sulfonyl" refers to a group of the formula RoSO2—, wherein Ro is as defined for acyl.
Greater detail as to these near infrared fluorophore compounds and methods for making the compounds are further described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,397,819; 5,461,136; 5,525,516; and 5,553,714, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
As noted above, the near infrared fluorescing compounds having reactive groups present may be copolymerized to produce thermoset compositions containing the near infrared fluorophore covalently bound so that they will not be leachable, sublimable, extractable, or be exuded from the polymer composition.
The dyes, pigments and near infrared fluorophores may be used alone in each layer, in combination with each other in a layer or in further conjunction with colored bands as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,433.
Incorporating one or more near infrared fluorophores, each of which has a characteristic fluorescence emission, in addition to the colorant in each colored band greatly increases the number of possible codes. For example, according to the formula cited above, if a particle is prepared which contains five bands (n=5), and five different colors (c=5) can be used in each band with no color touching the same color on an adjoining band, so arranged that the code can be read in either direction, ((5)(5−1)4)/2=640 possible codes are possible. If, on the other hand, each colored layer can contain a near infrared fluorophore, the number of detectible "colors" is doubled (e.g., red and red+ near infrared fluorophore are two different colors) and the number of possible codes, readable in either direction, is ((10)(9)4)/2=32,805. Thus, incorporation of near infrared fluorophores in the colored layers permits information to be encoded in fewer layers, thus simplifying the manufacture of the particles as well as making reading the codes easier.
Normally, with suitable fluorescence efficiency, the near infrared fluorophore is added in the amount of from less than about 1000 ppm, desirably from about 0.5 ppm to about 100 ppm, with about 1 ppm to about 10 ppm being preferred.
The method of the invention is particularly well suited for tagging bulk materials such as chemicals, explosives and liquid products such as non-opaque lacquers and resins. Desirably, the microparticles are homogeneously incorporated into the substrate to be tagged, preferably in an amount ranging from 0.01 ppm to about 1000 ppm, more preferably from about 0.1 ppm to about 100 ppm and yet more preferably from about 1 ppm to about 10 ppm. The use of near infrared fluorophores in colored taggant particles also provides an improved method of detection and recovery of particles, particularly after the tagged particles have been dispersed in the environment, as by explosion. Prior to the present invention, it had been necessary to retrieve the microtaggants using such methods as visually identifying the taggant or collecting a particle having a magnetic additive using a strong magnet. However, the present invention has an advantage over the prior art teachings by using an imaging system and a laser selected to deliver light at the absorbance maximum of the near infrared fluorophore contained in the taggant, a sweep of an area can be conducted to detect dispersed particles, without disturbing the explosion scene. A suitable imaging systems includes, but is not limited to, a video capture system comprising a video monitor, video storage device and a CCD camera equipped with appropriate filters to reject the reflected laser light and accept fluorescence from the near infrared fluorophore tagged particles. Thus, patterns or trails of particles can be detected and recorded to provide a map of tagged particles. In the case of an explosion, those skilled in the art of investigation of explosive patterns can use this information to pinpoint the source of the explosion as well as the type of explosive material used in the explosion.
In the case of covertly tagged articles, patterns of near infrared fluorophores printed or otherwise affixed to an articles can be detected. Because there are few natural interferences to near-infrared fluorescence, this detection method can be accomplished in lighting conditions ranging from full sunlight to darkness. Non-imaging devices such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,461,136; 5,397,819; and 5,292,855 can also be used to rapidly locate and map dispersed particles.
The near infrared fluorophore may be incorporated into or onto suitable microparticles in a number of ways. For example, the near infrared fluorophore may be incorporated into a suitable coating and applied to the surface of the microparticle. Alternatively at least one near infrared fluorophore may be copolymerized with one or more of the materials useful in forming a coating layer.
The use of near infrared fluorophores as components of coded identification systems presents a number of advantages. In general, any of the near infrared fluorophores cited above may be used, provided only that they do not undergo destructive reactions with other ingredients or reaction products of the substrate. Near infrared fluorophores which react with formaldehyde, for example, should not be used in conjunction with melamine resins, which release formaldehyde during cure.
Although the examples have dealt with near infrared fluorophores which are incorporated into brittle, cross-linked resins, they may also be copolymerized into water-dispersible resins which are suitable for coatings (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,292,855; 5,336,714 and 5,423,432, incorporated herein by reference); alternatively, certain near infrared fluorophores are available in oil-soluble form and may be incorporated into the solvent system used in resin preparation (U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,516) and may be introduced into coatings, including cross-linkable coatings, in that way. These coatings may be applied between or on top of other microtaggant layers (which may or may not include visual colorants) to provide more variations without significantly increasing the size of the final taggant particle.
Suitable resins may be marked with near infrared fluorophores by any of the conventional methods for adding additives such as dry blending, solution blending, etc. Alternatively, certain near infrared fluorophores are available which contain reactive groups which may be copolymerized into, the polymer. Near infrared fluorophores may be incorporated into cellulose acetate by a technique known as "acid pasting". These polymers may be used per se as marking layers, or they may be blended with other components of a marking layer.
Although the discussion herein has been directed primarily to the use of near infrared fluorophores as components of microtaggants for use in marking explosives, there are many other forms in which they may be used. For example, rods of thermoplastic may be prepared by extruding successive near infrared fluorophore-marked layers of the same or a different compatible, polymeric material. These rods may be cut into pellets similar to the form in which commercial thermoplastics are sold. Blended into a batch of plastic, they serve for identification in the same way that microtaggants are used for explosive identification. They would be easy to locate and identify in a batch of polymer, even one which contained fluorescent brighteners or ultraviolet absorbers, by virtue of their unique near infrared fluorescence.
It would also be possible to spin layered fibers from them which would reveal, upon cross sectioning, the manufacturer and the identity of the fabric from which a fiber was spun. It is common practice to spin synthetic fibers which have non-circular cross sections; for example, a common form has the shape of a Y. Each limb of the Y might be marked with a different near infrared fluorophore. Many other cross sections are possible; commercial spinneret designs permit the manufacture of at least eight unique cross sections for synthetic fibers, each lobe of which might be marked with a different near infrared fluorophore.
Coded disks, rods, etc. may be made by laying down successive layers of near infrared fluorophore-containing thermoplastic film, heating them under pressure to fuse the mass together, and cutting the resulting billet into disks, rods, or other desired shape.
Beads of polymer which contain successive layers of different near infrared fluorophores can be made by successively coating ceramic or, for example, cross-linked polystyrene beads with either oil soluble or water-dissipatable near infrared fluorophores. The bead may be cross-sectioned to reveal the code in the successive layers of tagged polymer.
It is emphasized that, in every case in which an application for a near infrared fluorophore has been indicated, it is also within the scope of the invention to incorporate a visible dye or pigment along with the near infrared fluorophore to increase the number of possible codes. Suitable polymeric colorant technology for coloration of melt processable polymers and aqueous or oil solvent-based coating compositions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,403,092 and 5,376,650, which are incorporated herein by reference.
If desired, ferromagnetic materials such as iron powder may also be incorporated into the microtaggants to further facilitate their collection from the environment.
The following examples are given by way of illustration of the invention and are not intended to be a limitation thereof.
This example illustrates the preparation of a coating such as could be applied to the surface of a microtaggant so that the particle could be located by exposure to near infrared light. The near infrared fluorophore can serve alone as a device for visualizing and locating microtaggant dispersed in the environment, or for identification of the manufacturer or country of origin, etc. Since near infrared fluorophores are visible through a clear coating when they are illuminated by near infrared light of the appropriate frequency, while they do not fluoresce when exposed to ultraviolet light, this coating may be applied beneath the photosensitive coating described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,390,452 to provide additional information. As further examples will show, a similar technique may be used to prepare individual layers or a multi-layer microtaggant particle.
The marker composition was added to a homogeneous mixture of 2 grams each of an alkylated melamine resin (Cymel™ 248-8) and an alkyd resin (Beckosol™ 12-102) and stirred thoroughly to give a clear solution. Cymec™ 4040 catalyst (a solution of p-toluenesulfonic acid in isopropanol), 0.1-0.4 grams was stirred into the mixture, which was then coated on thin polyethylene terephthalate film, or on white copy paper, using a 2 mil coating bar. The coated samples were heat set on a heated block at 120-140� C. for a few minutes to give clear, non-tacky films. The coated samples were illuminated by near infrared light at 780 nm and the fluorescence at 800-830 nm was measured using detectors described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,292,855; 5,336,714; 5,397,819; 5,423,432; 5,461,136; and 5,525,516. The disclosures of each are incorporated herein by reference.
The results for a variety of near infrared fluorophores (NIRFs) at different concentrations are shown in Table I below.
NIRF in
(weight, mg)
aNc = the naphthalocyanine nucleus
Pc = the phthalocyanine nucleus
PEG = polyethylene glycol 200
b0.1 g in tetrahydrofuran
c5000 ppm as copolymer with sebacic acid and PEG
d2000 ppm in polyurethane
e+0.2 g toluene
Several kilograms of a base coating resin were prepared by combining equal parts of an alkylated melamine resin (Cymel™ 248-8) and an alkyd resin (Beckosol™ 12-102) and shaking thoroughly to give a clear homogenous solution. Cymec™ 4040 catalyst (a solution of p-toluenesulfonic acid in isopropanol). 2.5 to 10% by weight, was stirred into the mixture. The mixture was divided into portions and colored pigments were added to give red, green fluorescent, white, and black coating compounds designated R, F, W, and B respectively. A portion of the red and fluorescent green coating solutions were separated and near infrared fluorophores were added in the amounts shown in Table II below.
Pigment Color
f5000 ppm as copolymer with sebacic acid and PEG
Taggant particles were prepared by spreading the coating resins described above onto a web using coating bars and curing with heat. Multiple layer taggants were generated by spreading one color resin over a partially cured layer of another color resin and building up a desired number of layers. The cured coatings were removed from the web and passed through a Wiley mill with #16 mesh to give taggant particles. All of these particles registered a "Yes" on the detector device described in examples 1-10. Table III illustrates the multi-layer particle codes using the designations described above. These particles were also seen by illuminating the particles with a laser at 700 nm and viewing with a black and white video camera at the wavelengths of 800-830 nm.
Layer 1
Layer 2
Layer 3
Layer 4
Layer 5
Layer 6
Layer 7
Layer 8
Although the present invention has been described in terms of the presently preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that such disclosure is not to be interpreted as limiting to the invention described herein. No doubt that after reading the disclosure, various alterations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. It is intended that the appended claims be interpreted as covering all such alterations and modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
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|Feb 19, 1975
|Oct 11, 1977
|Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company
|Method of tagging with color-coded microparticles
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|Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd.
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|Aug 22, 1989
|Sep 10, 1991
|Basf Aktiengesellschaft
|Silicon naphthalocyanines with unsaturated ligands and optical recording medium
|Feb 23, 1990
|Oct 8, 1991
|Eastman Kodak Company
|Electrophotographic recording elements containing titanyl phthalocyanine pigments and their preparation
|Oct 24, 1989
|Oct 8, 1991
|Eastman Kodak Company
|Process for treating pigments
|Sep 12, 1990
|Mar 3, 1992
|Battelle Memorial Institute
|Providing intelligible markings
|Apr 1, 1991
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|Eastman Kodak Company
|Colored polyester compositions
|May 30, 1991
|May 5, 1992
|Hitachi, Chemical Company Ltd.
|Naphthalocyanine derivatives, production thereof, optical recording medium using the same, and production thereof
|Mar 7, 1990
|Jun 9, 1992
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|Oct 31, 1990
|Sep 1, 1992
|Eastman Kodak Company
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|Apr 13, 1993
|Bayer Aktiengesellschaft
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|May 25, 1993
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|2,3-dicyanonaphthalene derivatives
|Sep 25, 1991
|Jun 8, 1993
|Thauming Kuo
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|Nov 9, 1993
|Eastman Kodak Company
|Process for treating pigments
|Feb 18, 1993
|Mar 8, 1994
|Eastman Kodak Company
|Water-dissipatable polyesters and amides containing near infrared fluorescent compounds copolymerized therein
|Dec 30, 1993
|Aug 9, 1994
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|Nov 24, 1993
|Mar 14, 1995
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|May 5, 1994
|Jun 13, 1995
|Eastman Chemical Company
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|Jun 27, 1994
|Oct 24, 1995
|Eastman Chemical Company
|Method for tagging thermoplastic materials with near infrared fluorophores
|Nov 17, 1994
|Jan 23, 1996
|Zeneca, Limited
|Poly-substituted phthalocyanines
|Sep 30, 1994
|Jun 11, 1996
|Eastman Chemical Company
|Method for tagging petroleum products
|Nov 14, 1994
|Sep 10, 1996
|Eastman Chemical Company
|Method for detecting and separating thermoplastic containers with near infrared fluorosphores
|Oct 25, 1995
|Mar 4, 1997
|Zeneca Limited
|Poly-substituted phthalocyanines
|Oct 23, 1995
|Mar 25, 1997
|Escano; Nelson Z.
|Water based inks containing near infrared fluorophores
|Jun 5, 1995
|Jul 8, 1997
|Kimberly-Clark Corporation
|Digital information recording media and method of using same
|Nov 18, 1996
|Sep 9, 1997
|Eastman Chemical Company
|Method for making article with and detecting water based inks containing near infrared fluorophores
|Feb 29, 1996
|Dec 30, 1997
|Eastman Chemical Company
|Method for tagging thermoplastic materials with near infrared fluorophores
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|Agglutrimetric platelet binding assays in blood
|Title not available
|Title not available
|Chemical Abstracts, 1972, p. 74, vol. 77, No. 141469m, American Chemical Society, Columbus, OH, USA.
|Chemical Abstracts, 1987, p. 80, vol. 106, No. 86223s, Amercian Chemical Society, Columbus, OH, USA.
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|May 14, 2003
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|Dec 17, 2001
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|Feb 27, 2004
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|Mar 10, 2004
|Jun 13, 2006
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|Jan 17, 2001
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|Feb 17, 2005
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|Controlled alignment of nano-barcodes encoding specific information for scanning probe microscopy (SPM) reading
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|Controlled alignment of nanobarcodes encoding specific information for scanning probe microscopy (SPM) reading
|Mar 30, 2005
|Nov 10, 2009
|Sun Chemical Corporation
|Photoinitiators for use in intaglio printing inks
|Jun 2, 2006
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|Controlled alignment of nano-barcodes encoding specific information for scanning probe microscopy (SPM)
|Mar 13, 2007
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|Sep 13, 2006
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|Mar 13, 2007
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|Dec 18, 2009
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|Method and apparatus for monitoring liquid for the presence of an additive
|Mar 13, 2007
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|Expression codes for microparticle marks based on signature strings
|May 13, 2010
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|Multiple step printing methods for microbarcodes
|May 13, 2010
|May 1, 2012
|Affymetrix, Inc.
|Miniaturized microparticles
|May 13, 2010
|May 15, 2012
|Affymetrix, Inc.
|Miniaturized microparticles
|Oct 6, 2010
|Jul 17, 2012
|Smi Holdings, Inc.
|Three-dimensional authentication of mircoparticle mark
|Sep 13, 2006
|Nov 26, 2013
|Affymetrix, Inc.
|Methods for producing codes for microparticles
|Jan 11, 2013
|Jun 10, 2014
|Affymetrix, Inc.
|Multiple step printing methods for microbarcodes
|Dec 13, 2011
|Oct 21, 2014
|Krowker Direny
|Microtagging motor vehicles for identification from a paint sample discovered during a criminal investigation
|Feb 6, 2013
|Feb 3, 2015
|Affymetrix, Inc.
|Miniaturized microparticles
|Oct 28, 2010
|Jun 30, 2015
|Lockheed Martin Corporation
|Rocket-propelled grenade
|Nov 15, 2011
|Aug 11, 2015
|Lockheed Martin Corporation
|Covert taggant dispersing grenade
|Sep 2, 2008
|Sep 15, 2015
|Flint Trading, Inc.
|Taggants for thermoplastic marking materials
|Nov 15, 2011
|Sep 22, 2015
|Lockheed Martin Corporation
|Covert taggant dispersing grenade
|Mar 6, 2014
|Dec 1, 2015
|Lockheed Martin Corporation
|Multiple-charge cartridge
|Mar 6, 2014
|Aug 23, 2016
|Lockheed Martin Corporation
|Less-than-lethal cartridge
|Jun 24, 2015
|Apr 25, 2017
|Eastman Chemical Company
|Fibers with physical features used for coding
|Jan 17, 2001
|Jul 18, 2002
|Drug Enhancement Company Of America, Llc
|Combination and method including a visual marker for determining compliance with a medication regimen
|Dec 17, 2001
|Sep 5, 2002
|Kerns William J.
|Identification particles and system and method for retrospective identification using spectral codes
|Aug 9, 2002
|Feb 20, 2003
|Nelson Gregory Wayne
|Method for marking items for identification
|Mar 26, 2003
|Oct 16, 2003
|Xanodyne Pharmacal, Inc.
|Compositions including a visual marker and method of use thereof
|Sep 20, 2002
|Mar 25, 2004
|Selena Chan
|Controlled alignment of nanobarcodes encoding specific information for scanning probe microscopy (SPM) reading
|May 19, 2003
|Apr 8, 2004
|Steenblik Richard A.
|Microstructured taggant particles, applications and methods of making the same
|Sep 19, 2003
|Jul 1, 2004
|Selena Chan
|Controlled alignment of nano-barcodes encoding specific information for scanning probe microscopy (SPM) reading
|Feb 28, 2003
|Sep 2, 2004
|Baus George Harold
|System and method for tracking and authenticating items through an internet web site
|May 14, 2003
|Nov 18, 2004
|Howard Robert James
|Method for using very small particles as obscurants and taggants
|Jul 25, 2003
|Jan 27, 2005
|Dale Spall
|Combination marker for liquids and method identification thereof
|Feb 17, 2005
|Jun 30, 2005
|Michael Cleary
|Method for particle production
|Feb 27, 2004
|Sep 1, 2005
|Safian John W.
|Plastic packaging having embedded micro-particle taggants
|Oct 1, 2003
|Nov 3, 2005
|Shell Oil Company
|System for identifying the lubricating oil in a machine
|Aug 1, 2005
|Dec 1, 2005
|Kerns William J
|Identification particles and system and method for retrospective identification using spectral codes
|Dec 2, 2002
|Feb 23, 2006
|Dan Hunt
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|Combination and method including a visual marker for determining compliance with a medication regimen
|Jan 30, 2006
|Oct 26, 2006
|Barney William S
|Bioaerosol discrimination
|Jun 2, 2006
|Dec 14, 2006
|Intel Corporation
|Controlled alignment of nano-barcodes encoding specific information for scanning probe microscopy (SPM)
|May 17, 2006
|Jan 11, 2007
|Morhard Robert C
|System, method and devices for detecting, monitoring, tracking and identifying explosive materials using RFID tags
|Sep 13, 2006
|Jun 28, 2007
|Randall True
|Multiple step printing methods for microbarcodes
|May 17, 2006
|Aug 16, 2007
|Morhard Robert C
|System and method for detecting, monitoring, tracking and identifying explosive materials
|May 17, 2006
|Aug 16, 2007
|Morhard Robert C
|System and method for detecting, monitoring, tracking and identifying explosive materials using ID marks
|Mar 30, 2005
|Nov 22, 2007
|Sun Chemical Corporation
|Photoinitiators for Use in Intaglio Printing Inks
|May 17, 2006
|Nov 22, 2007
|Morhard Robert C
|System and method for detecting, monitoring, tracking and identifying explosive materials using visibility devices
|Dec 13, 2006
|Jan 24, 2008
|Thomas & Betts International, Inc.
|Cable ties authentically verifiable
|Sep 13, 2006
|Feb 14, 2008
|Randall True
|Miniaturized microparticles
|Jul 27, 2007
|Feb 21, 2008
|Morhard Robert C
|System and method for detecting, monitoring, tracking and identifying explosive materials
|Sep 28, 2007
|Apr 2, 2009
|Schlumberger Technology Corporation
|Coded optical emission particles for subsurface use
|Sep 2, 2008
|Mar 4, 2010
|Greer Robert W
|Taggants for thermoplastic marking materials
|Sep 13, 2006
|Sep 9, 2010
|True Randall J
|Methods for producing codes for microparticles
|Sep 13, 2006
|Sep 9, 2010
|Randall True
|Brownian microbarcodes for bioassays
|May 13, 2010
|Nov 25, 2010
|Randall True
|Multiple Step Printing Methods for Microbarcodes
|May 13, 2010
|Nov 25, 2010
|True Randall J
|Miniaturized microparticles
|Mar 24, 2004
|Sep 29, 2004
|Pediamed Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
|Compositions including a visual marker and method of use thereof
|May 19, 2003
|Nov 27, 2003
|Nanoventions, Inc.
|Microstructured taggant particles, applications and methods of making the same
|May 19, 2003
|Dec 24, 2003
|Nanoventions Inc
|Microstructured taggant particles, applications and methods of making the same
|Oct 1, 2003
|Apr 15, 2004
|Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V.
|System for identifying the lubricating oil in a machine
|Oct 1, 2003
|Jun 3, 2004
|Shell Int Research
|System for identifying the lubricating oil in a machine
|Sep 22, 2003
|May 6, 2004
|Intel Corporation
|Controlled alignment of nano-barcodes encoding specific information for scanning probe microscopy (spm) reading
|Sep 22, 2003
|Nov 11, 2004
|Intel Corp
|Controlled alignment of nano-barcodes encoding specific information for scanning probe microscopy (spm) reading
|U.S. Classification
|436/56, 436/27, 436/172
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|May 20, 1998
Owner name: EASTMAN CHEMICAL COMPANY, TENNESSEE
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:NELSON, GREGORY WAYNE;KRUTAK, JAMES JOHN SR.;REEL/FRAME:009185/0402
Effective date: 19980511
|Feb 24, 2000
Owner name: ISOTAG TECHNOLOGY, INC., TEXAS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:EASTMAN CHEMICAL COMPANY;REEL/FRAME:010626/0638
Effective date: 19991117
|Sep 16, 2003
|Certificate of correction
|Apr 9, 2005
Owner name: AUTHENTIX, INC., TEXAS
Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:ISOTAG TECHNOLOGY, INC.;REEL/FRAME:015878/0620
Effective date: 20031204
|Mar 1, 2006
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Aug 14, 2006
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|Aug 14, 2006
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Year of fee payment: 4
|Feb 22, 2007
Owner name: SILICON VALLEY BANK, CALIFORNIA
Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:AUTHENTIX, INC.;REEL/FRAME:018942/0779
Effective date: 20070124
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Owner name: ISOTAG TECHNOLOGY, INC., TEXAS
Free format text: MERGER;ASSIGNOR:ISOTAG TECHNOLOGY, INC.;REEL/FRAME:019920/0961
Effective date: 20020108
|Apr 18, 2008
Owner name: SILICON VALLEY BANK, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, TEXA
Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:AUTHENTIX, INC.;REEL/FRAME:020817/0742
Effective date: 20080418
|Feb 16, 2010
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|Mar 21, 2014
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Aug 13, 2014
|Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
|Sep 30, 2014
|Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee
Effective date: 20140813


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Each month, Rated People connects over 50,000 homeowners with quality tradesmen - simply enter your job details in the form above to get started.
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After the work is complete, return to the site and rate your tradesman based on their quality of work, reliability and value for money.
Painter and decorator
Added 26/04/2017
Services required: painting Paint the conservatory, refresh room, paint colour maybe different...
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Services required: painting 1 x lounge/living room, 1 x hallway Need Ceilings painted white...
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First floor flat, total 7 Windows. See photos (brick red sills and surrounds) Prepare, prime...
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New kitchen recently installed so need it decorated. Currently has lining paper on it which...
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Services required: painting, wallpapering - patterned, wallpapering - unpatterned 1 x lounge/living...
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Re-painting in white masonry paint the external side wall and rear wall of a stone-fronted...
Very courteous and helpful, punctual and reliable. I would recommend them to my friends
Very tidy . Came when promised. Very satisfied with work done. Would recommend to others.
Would highly recommend, they were extremely punctual, friendly and reliable. We booked the job with quite short notice but Natasha and her team where extremely flexible and worked all hours to make sure the work was completed on time. We needed our flat to be painted within a day and they arrived at 7.30am and stayed working until at least 11pm to make sure it was done. Good value and very easy to work with! Will 100% be using again for future jobs
Victor and his boys were wonderful. He made sure that he knew exactly what we wanted before beginning the work. He was also very knowledgeable and was able to advise us of all available options and their pros and cons. The standard of work done was excellent and his team were polite and courteous. We would not hesitate to recommend Victor to anyone, we were delighted with the work he did for us.
Very professional service
Great team, work completed on time, as requested and for the price agreed. Thanks
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Tools & Technology for:
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Assistive listening devices
Digital cameras
Digital voice recorders
Inkjet printers
Laser printers
Microfiche or microfilm viewers
Notebook computers
Personal computers
Data base management system software
Data base user interface and query software
Data mining software
Electronic mail software
Information retrieval or search software
Internet browser software
Music or sound editing software
Office suite software
Optical character reader OCR or scanning software
Word processing software
We welcome feedback on the Tools & Technology database. We encourage you to suggest tools and technologies where our coverage may not reflect the full range of an occupation's duties. All suggestions will be considered for a future update of the T2 database.
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Reader: Scalpers and resellers snapped up GABF tickets
Tickets to this year's Great American Beer Festival sold out almost as soon as sales started yesterday. But the ire of would-be GABF-goers is just starting. Some are suggesting that scalpers were at work; others say they're giving up on the festival and starting their own.
Says samurainigel:
They didn't sell out in "45 minutes." Tickets were locked up in less than five. News agencies reporting on this shouldn't be overlooking the fact that 49,000 tickets were sold out in LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES. This is the work of scalpers and other resellers, plain and simple, and is a snapshot of what happens when you have companies like TicketMaster running (ruining?) the show.
What would you do for a ticket to the GABF? Post your thoughts below, or join the conversation already under way here.
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Family owned Adelaida is one of Paso's pioneers, established in 1981, and a case study for winemaking at altitude—its 157 acres of vineyard lie on soil that's situated at 1,400-2,000 feet. Visitors experience the impressive altitude firsthand, driving up to the hilltop tasting room. Though best known for its Rhône wines, Adelaida makes an array of other wines, including Pinot Noir and Cabernet, and pours a generous selection in the tasting room ($10). Book ahead for special experiences like the vineyard tour that culminates with a tailgate picnic at 2,300 feet ($50). adelaida.com


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text:
At Alter, Brad Kilgore Cooks Miami's Most Exciting Food
Bradley Kilgore, the 29-year-old chef of Wynwood's two-month-old Alter, sports a glistening, slicked-back Chicago gangster hairdo as he grabs a young Lake Meadow chicken. He debones it and removes the thigh meat, which he grinds up with a pungent combination of garam masala, North African spices, mushrooms, and foie gras. Then he inserts the velvety, savory filling into rolled breasts that are steamed, dried, and crisped. Finally, he rests the cooked bird atop sweet roasted golden beets and a sugary charred peach.
The flavor combinations are exquisite, but it's the chicken's supple juiciness that signals potential greatness.
This is what you'd expect of Kilgore. The Kansas City native first tasted kitchen life at age ten while washing dishes in a hometown egg-and-bacon spot. Soon he was cutting biscuits, squeezing oranges, and surreptitiously cooking omelets while line cooks were on break. After attending Johnson & Wales University in Denver, he embarked on a four-month stint in the Italian countryside near Milan. Upon returning to the States, he worked in legendary Chicago kitchens at Grant Achatz's Alinea and Laurent Gras' now-closed L2O.
In 2011, he moved to Miami and joined Azul in Brickell Key's Mandarin Oriental, where he quickly garnered attention as Joel Huff's sous-chef.
What came next was disastrous. In 2012, he and his wife Soraya partnered with Jeremy and Paola Goldberg, who until 2014 owned Coral Gables' Route 9. A New Times review of their restaurant, Key Biscayne's Exit 1, found dirty plates, a dead bug, and a curly dark hair resting atop roasted parsnips.
Yet Kilgore bounced back brilliantly, donning the executive chef's coat at Jean-Georges Vongerichten's J&G Grill at the St. Regis Bal Harbour in summer 2013. It wasn't long before his cooking took flight with ingenious, technique-driven spins on simple proteins and root vegetables. "I was their only chef to have any real estate on the menu," he says. "Still, I always had handcuffs on as far as the way I like to cook. Why can't you have a technique from Japan with a flavor from Thailand and a chili from Peru all on the same plate?"
Thus, Alter was born. Longtime friends Leopoldo Monterrey and Javier Ramirez had been pondering a restaurant for at least three years but swiftly decided who would run the kitchen. "Brad had a very clear idea of what he wanted to do," says Ramirez, a 42-year-old hedge-fund risk manager. "Casual, upscale, progressive American."
The walls in the finished space are sparse, lined with industrial-looking concrete. Chocolate-colored wooden tables are just a touch distressed to show off the grain. The lone bit of decoration is a twisting neon sculpture that burns a sinister red above a bar separating the 38-seat dining room from the open kitchen.
There's little to focus on other than the food, which is offered on an ever-changing menu that's as adventurous and exotic as Miami's international reputation. A soft-cooked egg is
Cocktails, overseen by general manager Antoine Lecas, previously of South Beach's Morimoto, provide a sharp, clean complexity that pairs well with the nuanced plates. A rum punch cleverly blends pineapple and orange juice with a splash of vermouth. The Dark Ginger is a play on a Moscow mule — it replaces
Bread and beurre $8
Soft egg $13
Guitara noodles $14
Cape Canaveral prawns $25
Poussin $24
Leek "chorizo" $21
Peaches $10
Later, Kilgore shows off a deft hand with oyster mushrooms from Central Florida. They're briefly cured in a blend of salt and smoked soy and then steamed, smoked over alder wood, and pan-roasted. The combination of aged Beemster Gouda purée, brittle tofu skin, and tart chili threads works. And the execution creates something special, providing the full spectrum of textures a mushroom can offer. The dish is supple, meaty, and crisp at the same time.
Kilgore clearly capitalizes on vegetables' moment in the spotlight with dishes such as leek "chorizo." Spears are braised until their interiors become sweet and tender. They're doused in a paprika oil that offers the sausage's unmistakable smokiness and are rich from contact with a pool of coconut milk.
Cape Canaveral prawns, crusted with a combination of toasted corn nuts, ground Korean chilies, and citric acid, star in a delightful version of shrimp 'n' grits. The accompanying pool of velvety hominy is lined with a Sterling Ruby-like striping of huitlacoche purée, mole verde, and vegan chorizo oil. The best part, though, are the heads filled with succulent, salty goodness. These are equally good solo or squeezed onto the plate.
But a miss here and there is inevitable. A milky burrata purée adds nothing to a dish featuring a stark-white ceramic cone bearing emerald-green guitara noodles enveloped in a velvety, herbaceous sauce. The plate calls out for some kind of spice or tang to snap your palate to life. And a dessert of peaches is haphazardly presented with overly dense banana bread and pretzel ice cream that's little more than very sweet vanilla.
Alter is a place to visit every couple of months. In its current form, the menu relies on modest ingredients. There is none of the dry-aged beef, quail, or thick slices of Perigord truffles you would expect. As the seasons change, Kilgore plans to offer a 12-to-15-course tasting menu. You'll want to be there for the chance to taste the greatness.
Related Location
223 NW 23rd St.
Miami, FL 33127
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PM Narendra Modi just released a new app named BHIM or Bharat Interface for Money which is simply a United Payments Interface (UPI) app. The new payment app allows you to pay digitally anyone straightforwardly from you own bank account. Bharat Interface for Money app or BHIM app is a project to facilitate swift, safe and dependable cashless payments through smartphone. The digital payment app basically connects your bank account to allow you make payment by UPI.
To use bhim at first you need to download and install it, once installed you need to register your own bank account and generate a UPI PIN number and from then you can begin send and receive money. The app offers an opportunity to select language between English and Hindi. After choose your language and provide necessary authorizations, you can validate your phone number. Remember to verify the same mobile number you provide while register your bank account. Your BHIM address will be your phone number. Using BHIM you can receive money and make payment to other mobile number, view account balance. You also can send money without sharing your mobile number by scan a QR code. Payments can as well be made to non-UPI bank accounts through IFSC. You can send maximum Rs 10,000 in a transaction and there is a transaction limit of Rs 20,000 daily.
Download bhim app for android
You can download the new digital payment app by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) using the official Google play download link.
Download bhim app for iOS
iOS users need to wait some days as BHIM app is currently only available for Android running devices. We hope National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) will release the modi bhim app within a few days and we will add app download link here.
Download and install the modi bhim app to send or receive funds from clients, friends and family simply using your phone number. You can as well receive funds by making a request.


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LG may launch the G5 next month
Thanks to the Quick Cover case, we now know that G5 will sport an Always-on display just like the celebrated LG V10 does. The case will let you view the upcoming phone's Always-on display without opening its cover and view call alerts, date and time, e-mail notifications and Twitter alerts.
In terms of looks, LG has given the Quick Cover case a glossy metallic finish to let your G5 look premium and exclusive. The cover is smooth as well and you won't get any scratches from it for sure.
As of now, the metallic finish is the only colour that the Quick Cover case will launch in. If you need a preview, the case will be displayed at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona from February 22-25. As per reports, the G5 launch will also take place at the same event.
Brace for two new flagship phones from LG this year!
As per available leaks and rumours, the upcoming G5 will sport a fingerprint sensor and a metal unibody. As per a leak on Chinese social network Weibo, the G5 will rock a 21MP camera with an Iris scanner (which will also be used as a mode of biometric authentication), a 5.6-inch Quad HD display as well as a Snapdragon 820 processor.
If LG can build on the design and capabilities of the V10 to perfect the upcoming G5, it will surely give the likes of Apple and Samsung a run for their money.


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If you have read a news report relevant to origins and the authority of the Bible which you feel may be useful to CMI, you may submit it here.
Please provide either a URL or the text of the relevant news item.
Evolution is supported and endorsed by governments, the media, our major educational institutions and many big businesses. But look at this site and see how much can be achieved with a little effort from God's people in supporting such outreach. Support this site


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Things are happening, and I'm not sure whether or not I'm going to blog about it yet, or ever. However, I will say, for those who were concerned about the fine needle biopsy result, it was negative for breast cancer.
This post is just a collection of goodies gleaned from current events and whatnot that I wanted to put where I could find them again.
First this excerpt from an interview of Lois McMaster Bujold that was up on the Tor website which gives you a big clue why I like her writing. She is speaking here of her Vorkosigan saga books:
ECM: When and how did you decide (or realize) that Jole and Aral were lovers?
LMB: "Decide" is probably too strong a word, but the possible development existed in my mind pretty much from the moment Jole walked onstage for the first time in The Vor Game, back when I was writing it in 1989. It rode along as a potential in what I called "Schrödinger's Cat Carrier" for many years thereafter.
It's that "Schrödinger's Cat Carrier." Of course, "Schrödinger's Cat" refers to a famous "thought experiment." Her random subatomic event was when she came back to the Vorkosigan-verse after a decade's hiatus and wrote Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen.
I marched Saturday, but only in spirit. I thought I'd share some favorite signs of the times from those who did. (Most of these came from Mark Hamill's Twitter feed): (No apologies for the language).
I was heartened and glad to see the percentage of men marching in solidarity with the women. The thing I find most astonishing about the Women's March — Millions of people marched in hundreds of cities all across the United States. Millions. There was no violence, no destruction of property, and only 4 people were arrested during the march. In the whole United States. Four.
Again, sans segue, when I was checking the weather forecast, I found that the Weather Channel had compiled a chart of the windiest cities in America: Cities #1 (Tx), #3 (Tx), and #5 (KS) are all out on the Great Plains of the central US, where there is a very noticeable lack of anything to deflect or divert the wind. No surprise that two of the top three cities are in the Texas Panhandle. In fact, City #1 is about 130 miles north of City #3, and it's been right windy in both of those two cities of late, as in wind speeds of 25-40 mph (40-64 kph).
To change subjects again without the slightest attempt at a segue, I had an interesting conversation in a waiting room today. There were only three of us waiting, a Black man and a white woman, and me. There was a TV in the waiting room tuned to CNN, and Carrie Fisher was mentioned (see above). It was a short jump from Star Wars to Star Trek. The white woman mentioned how the communicator devices on the original Star Trek series inspired the invention of cell phones. I contributed that the idea of the automatic "self-opening" door also came from the original Star Trek series. The Black man mentioned that Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) was his first love. I told him that at one point Nichelle Nichols had decided to leave Star Trek to sing on Broadway, but Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. urged her to remain on the show as she was such a positive role model at a very crucial time in American history and in the Civil Rights movement. Dr. King convinced her to stay. The Black man had never heard that particular story, and I was honored to be able to share it with him and watch him embrace it. It was a gleaming moment in an otherwise long and rather bootless day.
In the knitting news, I ended up getting a second ChiaoGoo Red Lace size US10 (6.0 mm) 60 inch circular knitting needle as I am currently, and concurrently, knitting two "Malguri Morning" shawls. The longer needles will accommodate the large number of stitches I will end up binding off to finish the shawls. Each shawl uses 8 skeins of yarn and increases two stitches every two rows, so you wind up with a lot of stitches. I could only get 6 skeins of the Northern Lights color, which is the "self-striping" (variegated) color at right, but the Electric Blue solid color matches the blue in it so I'm adding in two solid stripes of it. The second stripe will be narrower. That's the thing with the variegated yarn; as the "triangle" becomes wider at the top, the stripes become narrower.
Oh, and here's a pix of my favorite knitting accessory — the fat(cat)boy. The lap robe covering my foots is one I made out of a twin-size microfleece blanket. We're very leopard printy in the living room. My furniture is all brown leather and the print adds interesting visual texture. The red/oxblood/orange/gold of the flowers and drapes add that little pop of color among the earth tones.
Putting that pane of glass over the fireplace opening has made the room noticeably warmer.


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Hey everyone, I'm not sure if anyone has done this yet but I just took the time to do it since I can't find a game to pass the time while waiting for FFXIV. Well, I hope I get some good feedback from this and if I got anything wrong, please let me know and I'll correct it. A lot of this is speculation but I'll just throw my ideas from what I get from these images onto here. Well, let's begin.
First, I'll post the logo images that I made. The first link examines the races. The 2nd link examines the weapons. Sorry about the light green on the first image, it was a poor choice of color to use for everything and it is quite hard to see but I was already too far into the process.
Lastly, I'll have to manually type out each of the numbers for the concept art since I couldn't really find a good spot to make a numerical list.
1. Mithra, tail has a white tip, perhaps a modification like the galkas with no tail.
2. New Race, It is not a taru. Why? Ears are not pointy and the face is not as fat, look at #8 side by side.
3. Elvaan M, based on hairs and ears.
4. Hume F, ear doesn't seem very pointy. Also, red circle will be explained further down.
5. Mithra.
6. Galka wearing a hauberk.
7. Hume M, based on trailer and white hair.
8. Taru with apples.
9. WHM, not sure on race.
10. Mithra, everyone says it's a male mithra but I don't think you can see enough to tell.
11. Hume F with a scale.
12. Hair reminds me of Mithra, not sure.
13. New race, the insides of the ears are pink, not found in any of the other traditional races.
14. Whoever drew the concept art must like mithra.
15. Elvaan.
Stuff circled in Red: I circled one of the large crystal structures, it could be the new Home Point but it probably isn't. I also circled the crystals on the belt on the table, and based on Hume F. #4, it's very hard to see but it may be a crystal that she has equipped. I could be wrong but that's what it looks like to me. Kinda caught my eye so might be interesting to you guys.
Well, hope I gave out some new information to those who didn't know. Sorry if you didn't learn anything new from this topic but if you have any feedback or comments, feel free to say what's on your mind. Just don't start flaming me because I said something wrong. ;)
Edited, Jun 9th 2009 8:12pm by EpedemicOptikz


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Broadway Donuts
Long Beach, CA 90802
- $
- Kid Friendly, Takeout, Wheelchair accessible
- Breakfast, Lunch
- No Alcohol
- Street Parking
- Reservations Not Necessary
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Under the eye of motoring mogul Afzal Kahn, engineers Ralph and Ranen turn a Porsche Panamera into an eco-friendly, high performance supercar.
Have you ever wondered how various items are made? Are you fascinated with how things are constructed? Do you want to see step by step construction of your favorite items? These were the questions that were answered by the amazingly popular show How It's Made. They took their cameras into every manufacturer and assembly line to find out and film exactly how an object is created from the first piece to the finishing touch. In this Edition, Two iconic Porsches are built.
Picture your dream car a Maserati or maybe the Audi R8. Have you ever wondered just how that incredible machine was made? Join Science and the classic How It's Made crew as we go around the world to the birthplaces of your favourite cars


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oh well, thanks for replying though ^^
Hi reiz999,
Unfortunately, I don't have that mod, sorry. I hope you can find it though.
hi roxas13 ^^
just wondering if you have the jack krauser resident evil 4 mod over jecht made by eldritch esper here
it seems i cant contact him, and since you have been in this forum long enough maybe you have him ^^. Well if you do have his mod, could you share it with me too ?? i really want to play with it since i mostly using jecht to play dissidia ^^


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How many Grammy awards has Stevie Wonder won?
Between 1973 and 2006, Stevie Wonder won a cumulative total of 25 Grammy Awards in various categories. He won Grammy Awards as a songwriter, artist, producer and arranger in the R&B and pop genres....
Read More »
Wonder pets is the wonder pets friends?
Yes they are friends.
Who play's Stevie from 'Wizards of Waverly Place'?
Her real name is Hayley Kiyoko.She's also comming out in LemonadeMouth!
Did Jessie James have a step sister called Stevie?
Yes indead he did good question.
Does anyone have a youtube link for Stevie Ray vaughn?
Hello .I'm just curious.Are you unable to access youtube?There are loads of links on there... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX-GJ46ki…


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Lover Statue Lamp
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Dignified classical stone busts drop from braided cable, poised to lend an air of tongue-in-cheek grace to interiors old and new. Impactful in clusters or dignified as a solo piece, these lamps come in a choice of three designs, "Goddess", "Hero" and "Muse".
These pendant lights reappropriate Greek and Roman icons such as Apollo, Venus and Dianna. Cast with marble and stone dust they are perfect sculptures for both modern and traditional interiors, as an over counter or bar feature.
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Home > Connect > Music Ministry
>> Sitemap and Search Engine
Wednesday rehearsals: 6:45 - 8:00 PM in the Choir Room. The Sanctuary Choir is the primary worship service choir for adults. Auditions are not necessary, but the ability to match pitch and rhythm is necessary. The ability to read music is not required.
Monday rehearsals: 10:30-11:30 AM in the Choir Room. This choir is for senior adults (age 50 and up). The choir sings occasionally during worship services, as well as performing seasonal cantatas and musicals.
>> See Destination Kids Wednesday
Thursday rehearsals: 4:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall. The Praise Team is led by our Contemporary Worship Leader, Sly Samudre. Contact Sly directly if you would like to participate in this group.
Participation is by arrangement with Sly Samudre, our Minister to Students, who leads this group. Other small groups and ensembles, both vocal and instrumental, meet at different times throughout the year.
Sunday rehearsals: 5:30 – 7:00 PM in the Handbell Room. This ensemble, led by Chris Jenkins, rings for worship services and special seasonal programs, as well as occasional performances out in the community.
Wednesday rehearsals: 6:10 to 6:30 PM. This ensemble is for instrumentalists with at least two years of playing experience. The ensemble plays for the 10:30 AM Traditional Worship Service, as well as special programs during the year.
This ministry team is responsible coordinating the flowers that are placed in our worship areas each Sunday. In addition to this, this team takes care of the live plants that are located in the church foyers and worship areas. During Advent this ministry team is responsible for preparing all the decorations and poinsettias that will be placed in the church at our annual "Hanging of the Greens" Joint Worship Service. This team also helps prepare for our special Christmas Eve Candlelight Services and helps decorate the church in preparation for Holy Week and Easter. The church elects a Team Leader for this ministry each year. The Flower and Decoration Ministry Team falls under the administrative responsibility of the Minister of Music and Worship, Chris Jenkins.
Also known as the "MMM Team" this group has the responsibility of providing visual and computer support for the worship services. This includes the projection systems in our Church Sanctuary and our Fellowship Hall. Using both "teleprompting" software, MediaShout Worship Software, and PowerPoint, this team supports our worship services with visual aids and computer services. This team is always looking for persons with technical and computer skills to help with this important dimension of worship. The church elects a Team Leader for this ministry. It is under the administrative responsibility of the Minister of Music and Worship, Chris Jenkins.
Members of this ministry team provide operators for the sound systems in both our Church Sanctuary and our Fellowship Hall in support of our worship services and other special events for our church. This team is responsible for using, repairing, and storage of all of our sound reinforcement equipment. There are opportunities throughout the year for new persons to receive training and to be scheduled to assist with this important and vital ministry. The church elects a Team Leader for this ministry each year. It is under the administrative responsibility of the Minister of Music and Worship, Chris Jenkins. top


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Iran 150,000 Missiles
November 28, 2011 by staff
Iran 150,000 Missiles, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said that Iran has up to 150,000 missiles pointed at Israel, according to the semi-official Iranian FARS news agency.
According to the report, Vahidi questioned threats against the Islamic Republic from the Jewish State, asking "How many missiles have they prepared themselves for? 10,000? 20,000? 50,000? 100,000, 150,000 or more?"
The Iranian defense minister also warned against an offensive by the United States, saying it would meet a hard defensive line were it to attack Iran.
"The US and its allies should know that Iran is so powerful that its battling will teach the US how to fight and what war and warrior mean," Vahidi told a crowd of 50,000 volunteer soldiers in Bushehr, a city where one of the country's nuclear power plants is located.
Iran claims the country's nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but an incriminating International Atomic Energy Agency report said that Tehran has continued to covertly develop nuclear-weapons technology.
Since the release of that report, Western nations have called for international pressure on the regime in Tehran to halt their nuclear program.
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Disclaimer: The views expressed on this site are that of the authors and not necessarily that of U.S.S.POST.


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Hello, everyone, it's me. I'd like to inform all of you that I will be temporarily taking a break from all wikis . I don't have a very flexible schedule and I really won't have the time to be on here every day. I will still stop to say hi every now and then and I'll check my message wall every so often, but I'm not gonna be on here that much until next summer.
It's been a pleasure working and chatting with you guys this summer.
S t a t i c THE sbnᴉɹɹǝl | Talk 11:10, August 25, 2015 (UTC)


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SNL's Alex Buono CINE-STYLE 101
Samys Photo School San Francisco
Tuesday, May 6, 2014 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (PDT)
This is a free lecture thanks to the generosity of Lexar.
In the world of film and television, there is no deadline more unmovable than when you hear those magical words, "Live from New York, It's Saturday Night! ". As a 15-year veteran of the Saturday Night Live Film Unit, Alex Buono must deliver high-end commercial parodies and short films in as few as 24 hours, and he will share with you how shooting with the new wave of digital cinema cameras has revolutionized the way he works. Alex will use his experiences at SNL to demonstrate everything you need to know when it comes to shooting video with both DSLR and Cine-Style cameras. Topics covered will include an extensive setup primer: discussing shutter speeds, frame rates, aspect ratios, camera settings, and vital production gear. Alex will also cover his complete work flow from production to post, including a discussion of 4K acquisition and delivery. Whether you are a photographer looking to transition into video production, or a veteran cinematographer looking to embrace new technology, this lecture will provide a comprehensive introduction to the latest advances in cinematography cameras and techniques.
Born in Portland, Oregon, Alex attended the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, majoring in film production and still photography. His early post-collegiate years were spent on the camera crews of studio films including Twister, Conspiracy Theory, and Armageddon. Soon after, Alex became a full-time cinematographer of indie films, music videos and at Saturday Night Live, where he has been the Director of Photography for the SNL Film Unit since 1999. In 2003, Alex received an Oscar Nomination for the short film Johnny Flynton, which he shot and also produced. Alex repeated the role of cinematographer & co-producer on Green Street Hooligans that won both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the 2005 South By Southwest Film Festival. Following, Alex wrote, produced and shot the documentary feature Bigger Stronger Faster*, which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. In 2009, Alex's 10th season with Saturday Night Live marked his first experimentation with the DSLR camera format, shooting the SNL Title Sequence with a Canon 5DmII. Other credits include the award-winning ESPN comedy series Mayne Street as well as 2nd Unit work on the ABC series Detroit 187 and the NBC series Chicago Fire. Alex is a member of the Writer's Guild of America, the International Documentary Association and the International Cinematographer's Guild. He lives in Venice, California where he continues to write, produce, and shoot for his production company, Third Person – and is currently in production on his directorial debut, a new documentary feature set in New Orleans. You can learn more about Alex by visiting his website: alex-buono.com or following him on Twitter: @alexbuono.
Website: http://www.samysphotoschool.com/organizer/samys-photo-school-san-francisco-2/
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