Matching a spent firearm cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9778007-B1
Application number	US-201615186706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 20, 2016
Priority date	Jun 20, 2016
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed is a novel system, and method for matching a spent firearm cartridge. The method starts with applying a directed self-assembly (DSA) process to produce a nano-scale pattern on a tip of a firing pin for a firearm. The DSA process including: a) disposing a neutral substrate on the firing pin; b) lithographically placing two or more base polymer chains on the neutral substrate, at least two of the two or more base polymer chains being different lengths, so that the two or more base polymer chains align end-to-end in an alternating structure, and c) extracting at least one of the two or more base polymer chains leaving at least one of the base polymer chains remaining thereby forming a randomly oriented pattern. Next, the randomly oriented pattern is used as blocking mask to form a randomly oriented metallization pattern.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for matching a spent firearm cartridge, the method comprising:
applying a directed self-assembly (DSA) process to produce a nano-scale pattern on a tip of a firing pin for a firearm, the DSA process including
disposing a neutral substrate on the firing pin;
lithographically placing two or more base polymer chains on the neutral substrate, at least two of the two or more base polymer chains being different lengths, so that the two or more base polymer chains align end-to-end in an alternating structure; and
extracting at least one of the two or more base polymer chains leaving at least one of the base polymer chains remaining thereby forming a randomly oriented pattern; and

using the randomly oriented pattern as blocking mask to form a randomly oriented metallization pattern.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
taking an image of the randomly oriented metallization pattern; and
storing the image of the randomly oriented metallization pattern in a database.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the taking an image of the randomly oriented metallization pattern includes using a scanning electron microscope.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
storing a serial number associated with the firearm in which the firing pin is placed along with the image of the randomly oriented metallization pattern.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
imaging a firing pin imprinted on a cartridge of a bullet that has been fired; and
searching the image of the randomly oriented metallization pattern in the database to determine a match.

6. A system for matching a spent firearm cartridge, the system comprising:
a memory;
a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, where the processor is configured to perform
applying a directed self-assembly (DSA) process to produce a nano-scale pattern on a tip of a firing pin for a firearm, the DSA process including
disposing a neutral substrate on the firing pin;
lithographically placing two or more base polymer chains on the neutral substrate, at least two of the two or more base polymer chains being different lengths, so that the two or more base polymer chains align end-to-end in an alternating structure; and
extracting at least one of the two or more base polymer chains leaving at least one of the base polymer chains remaining thereby forming a randomly oriented pattern; and

using the randomly oriented pattern as blocking mask to form a randomly oriented metallization pattern.

7. The system of claim 6 , further comprising:
taking an image of the randomly oriented metallization pattern; and
storing the image of the randomly oriented metallization pattern in a database.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the taking an image of the randomly oriented metallization pattern includes using a scanning electron microscope.

9. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
storing a serial number associated with the firearm in which the firing pin is placed along with the image of the randomly oriented metallization pattern.

10. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
imaging a firing pin imprinted on a cartridge of a bullet that has been fired; and
searching the image of the randomly oriented metallization pattern in the database to determine a match.

11. A non-transitory computer program product for matching a spent firearm cartridge, the computer program product configured to perform:
applying a directed self-assembly (DSA) process to produce a nano-scale pattern on a tip of a firing pin for a firearm, the DSA process including
disposing a neutral substrate on the firing pin;
lithographically placing two or more base polymer chains on the neutral substrate, at least two of the two or more base polymer chains being different lengths, so that the two or more base polymer chains align end-to-end in an alternating structure; and
extracting at least one of the two or more base polymer chains leaving at least one of the base polymer chains remaining thereby forming a randomly oriented pattern; and

using the randomly oriented pattern as blocking mask to form a randomly oriented metallization pattern.

12. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 11 , further comprising:
taking an image of the randomly oriented metallization pattern; and
storing the image of the randomly oriented metallization pattern in a database.

13. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the taking an image of the randomly oriented metallization pattern includes using a scanning electron microscope.

14. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 12 , further comprising:
storing a serial number associated with the firearm in which the firing pin is placed along with the image of the randomly oriented metallization pattern.

15. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 12 , further comprising:
imaging a firing pin imprinted on a cartridge of a bullet that has been fired; and
searching the image of the randomly oriented metallization pattern in the database to determine a match.

16. A method for matching a spent firearm cartridge, the method comprising:
applying a directed self-assembly (DSA) process to produce a nano-scale pattern on a neutral substrate, the DSA process including
disposing a neutral substrate on the neutral substrate;
lithographically placing two or more base polymer chains on the neutral substrate, at least two of the two or more base polymer chains being different lengths, so that the two or more base polymer chains align end-to-end in an alternating structure; and
extracting at least one of the two or more base polymer chains leaving at least one of the base polymer chains remaining thereby forming a randomly oriented pattern;

using the randomly oriented pattern as blocking mask to form a randomly oriented metallization pattern; and
using nanoprinting to stamp the randomly oriented metallization pattern on a tip of a firing pin for a firearm.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
taking an image of the randomly oriented metallization pattern; and
storing the image of the randomly oriented metallization pattern in a database.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
imaging a firing pin imprinted on a cartridge of a bullet that has been fired; and
searching the image of the randomly oriented metallization pattern in the database to determine a match.

19. A system for matching a spent firearm cartridge, the system comprising:
a memory;
a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, where the processor is configured to perform
applying a directed self-assembly (DSA) process to produce a nano-scale pattern on a neutral substrate, the DSA process including
disposing a neutral substrate on the neutral substrate;
lithographically placing two or more base polymer chains on the neutral substrate, at least two of the two or more base polymer chains being different lengths, so that the two or more base polymer chains align end-to-end in an alternating structure, and
extracting at least one of the two or more base polymer chains leaving at least one of the base polymer chains remaining thereby forming a randomly oriented pattern;

using the randomly oriented pattern as blocking mask to form a randomly oriented metallization pattern; and
using nanoprinting to stamp the randomly oriented metallization pattern on a tip of a firing pin for a firearm.

20. The system of claim 19 , further comprising:
taking an

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Briggs Benjamin D
• Clevenger Lawrence A
• Deprospo Bartlet H
• Rizzolo Michael

Classifications

• G06F17/30259

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/30262

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06T7/0012

  Biomedical image inspection · CPC title

• G06T7/60

  Analysis of geometric attributes · CPC title

• G06K9/52

  Physics · mapped topic