Polymer-based radiopaque ink formulations and uses thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12555087-B2
Application number	US-202318392039-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2023
Priority date	Dec 23, 2022
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for identifying an object using radiopaque ink. In some embodiments, a system for identifying an object comprises an object having an identifying marking formed of a radiopaque ink comprising a polymer matrix having an average molecular weight of about 1,000 g/mol to about 50,000 g/mol, and a radiopaque compound comprising one or more elements having an atomic number of 53 or greater dispersed within the polymer matrix. A control circuit causes a radiographic imaging device to irradiate the object, receives from the radiographic imaging device image data associated with the object, processes the image data to generate an x-ray image showing the identifying marking of the object, causes a display device to display the x-ray image showing the identifying marking of the object, and identifies the object based on the identifying marking of the object shown in the x-ray image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A radiopaque ink composition comprising:
a polymer matrix having an average molecular weight of from about 1,000 g/mol to about 50,000 g/mol, the polymer matrix comprising a mixture of linear short chain polyethyleneimine and branched polyethyleneimine; and a radiopaque compound solubilized in the polymer matrix, the radiopaque compound comprising tungsten hexachloride in an amount effective to render the ink composition radiopaque.

2 . The radiopaque ink composition of claim 1 , wherein the radiopaque ink composition has a viscosity up to about 12 centipoise at ambient temperature.

3 . A label comprising the radiopaque ink composition of claim 1 printed on a substrate.

4 . A system for identifying an object, the system comprising:
an object having disposed thereon an identifying marking formed of a radiopaque ink composition, the radiopaque ink composition comprising:
a polymer matrix having an average molecular weight of from about 1,000 g/mol to about 50,000 g/mol, the polymer matrix comprising a mixture of linear short chain polyethyleneimine and branched polyethyleneimine; and
a radiopaque compound solubilized in the polymer matrix, the radiopaque compound comprising tungsten hexachloride in an amount effective to render the ink composition radiopaque;
a radiographic imaging device configured to irradiate an object with x-ray radiation and detect reflected x-ray radiation; a display device; and a control circuit communicatively coupled to the radiographic imaging device, and the display device via a network, the control circuit configured to:
cause the radiographic imaging device to irradiate the object;
receive, from the radiographic imaging device, image data associated with the object;
process the image data to generate an x-ray image based on detected x-ray radiation, wherein the x-ray image shows the identifying marking of the object;
cause the display device to display the x-ray image showing the identifying marking of the object; and
identify the object based on the identifying marking of the object shown in the x-ray image.

5 . The system of claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of objects arranged in a manner such that an identifying marking of the object is visually obscured by another object.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein a radiodensity of the other object is lower than a radiodensity of the radiopaque ink composition.

7 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the object is a medical implant disposed in a subject.

8 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the object is a consumer product, and the radiographic imaging device comprises a handheld device configured to be operated by an associate in a retail facility.

9 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the object is a consumer product in a retail facility, and the radiographic imaging device is associated with a point-of-sale terminal or an autonomous robot in the retail facility.

10 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the radiopaque ink composition is disposed directly on at least one of the object or a packaging of the object.

11 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the radiopaque ink composition is disposed on a printed label, which is affixed to at least one of the object or a packaging of the object.

12 . The system of claim 4 , further comprising a database associating objects with respective identifying markings, wherein the control circuit is configured to identify the object by reading the identifying marking of the object in the x-ray image, and querying the database to obtain a match between the identifying marking and the associated object.

13 . A method of identifying an object, the method comprising:
causing, by a control circuit, a radiographic imaging device to irradiate an object with x-ray radiation and detect reflected x-ray radiation, the object having disposed thereon an identifying marking formed of a radiopaque ink composition, the radiopaque ink composition comprising:
a polymer matrix having an average molecular weight of from about 1,000 g/mol to about 50,000 g/mol, the polymer matrix comprising a mixture of linear short chain polyethyleneimine and branched polyethyleneimine; and
a radiopaque compound solubilized in the polymer matrix, the radiopaque compound comprising tungsten hexachloride in an amount effective to render the ink composition radiopaque;
receiving, by the control circuit from the radiographic imaging device, image data associated with the object; processing, by the control circuit, the image data to produce an x-ray image, wherein the x-ray image shows the identifying marking of the object; causing, by the control circuit, a display device to display the x-ray image showing the identifying marking of the object; and identifying, by the control circuit, the object based on the identifying marking of the object shown in the x-ray image.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein a plurality of objects are arranged in a manner such that an identifying marking of the object is visually obscured by another object.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein a radiodensity of the other object is lower than a radiodensity of the radiopaque ink composition.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the object is a medical implant disposed in a subject.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the object is a consumer product, and the radiographic imaging device comprises handheld device configured to be operated by an associate in a retail facility.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the object is a consumer product in a retail facility, and the radiographic imaging device is associated with a point-of-sale terminal or an autonomous robot in the retail facility.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the radiopaque ink composition is disposed directly on at least one of the object or a packaging of the object.

20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the radiopaque ink composition is disposed on a printed label, which is affixed to at least one of the object or a packaging of the object.

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Pan Dipanjan
• Sheffield Zachary Mt
• Skrodzki David D

Classifications

• C09D11/037 Primary

  characterised by the pigment · CPC title

• G06K7/10386

  the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader · CPC title

• G06Q20/208 Primary

  Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing · CPC title

• G07G1/0045

  with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader · CPC title

• C09D11/10

  based on artificial resins · CPC title