Patent Application
20230004771
The invention concerns a RFID label for marking containers or equipment, preferably in a laboratory environment and including in particular cylindrical bottles, vials, syringes, etc., by adhering the RFID layer to a surface thereof.
In general, RFID Labels are available on the market. Different types of labels are needed for use in various areas. In addition, the frequency ranges for the communication with external devices differ according to the countries to read the RFID labels. It might happen, for example, that it will not be possible to use a RFID Label in Europe and the US. Using dual frequency ranges for NFC and UHF in a label is highly limited. Only labels with large dimensions are available in the market with diverse performance and depending on the size with very low reading ranges.
In addition, tamper detection, flexibility to use on any surfaces of different containers encountered in the laboratory field, in particular such containers of different size/volume that have cylindrical outer surfaces like bottles, vials, syringes, etc., with different curvature, or chemical resistance combined into one RFID labels are not available in the market.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a RFID label that solves at least some of the problems mentioned above.
The RFID label in particular is to meet one or more of the following requirements:
To meet one or more of these requirements the invention provides a RFID label with the features of claim 1 or 2. Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.
The invention in particular provides, in a first solution, a RFID label for marking containers, preferably bottles, vials, syringes, etc., or equipment by adhering the RFID layer to a surface thereof, the label comprising a flat flexible support material base, at least one RFID microelectronic device included in the flat support material base, and at least one antenna connected with the at least one RFID microelectronic device and included in the flat support material base, wherein the flat support material base has a number of predefined cuts distributed about its outer periphery.
The invention in particular provides, in a second solution, a RFID label for marking containers or equipment by adhering the RFID layer to a surface thereof, the label comprising a flat flexible support material base, at least one RFID microelectronic device included in the flat support material base, and at least one antenna connected with the at least one RFID microelectronic device and included in the flat support material base, wherein the at least one RFID microelectronic device includes a tamper detection function and a conductive loop connected with tamper detection function terminals of the RFID microelectronic device is included in the flat support material base.
Preferably, the flat flexible support material base includes an elongated extension strip integrally formed with the support material base so as to extend therefrom and configured to be at least partly separated from the support material base at a predefined separation structure, preferably in the form of a predefined tearing line.
Preferably, in particular in the second solution, the conductive loop extends over the predefined separation structure, preferably the tearing line, which tearing line is preferably unsymmetrical to define a preferred start of tearing.
Preferably, in particular in the second solution, the flat support material base has a number of predefined cuts as in the first solution which are distributed about its outer periphery.
Preferably, the cuts are substantially straight cuts that are oriented so as to be inclined with respect to an outer edge of the flat support material base in a top view.
Preferably, the cuts are oriented substantially towards a central portion of the flat support material base in the top view.
Preferably, the cuts extend over a length between 3% and 10% of the length of an outer edge of the flat support material base at which they are provided or in the direction of which they extend.
Preferably, the cuts are spaced from each other along the outer edge by a length between 5% and 30% of the length of the outer edge of the flat support material base at which they are provided or in the direction of which they extend.
Preferably, the flat support material base is substantially rectangular in a top view.
Preferably, the antenna and, if provided, the conductive loop is/are printed on a surface of a plastic or paper-based material or are formed from a metal layer.
Preferably, the flat support material base has a PP synthetic top surface layer laminated on the printed plastic or paper-based material or the metal layer.
Preferably, the flat support material base has an adhesive bottom layer applied to the bottom surface.
Preferably, the RFID microelectronic device is configured to communicate with two different frequency ranges, preferably UHF and NFC, and a second antenna connected with the RFID microelectronic device is included in the flat support material base.
Preferably, one of the antennas is arranged between sections of the other antenna or is nested within the other antenna.
The invention additionally provides a container, including in particular cylindrical bottles, vials, syringes, etc, with a RFID label as described on a surface thereof.
The invention will now be described by reference to the attached drawing showing two different embodiments as an example.
The RFID label 1, 1′ of the invention as shown in
The flat support material base 11 is substantially rectangular in a top view and is formed from a plastic or paper-based material on a surface of which the functional circuitry including the antenna and, preferably, a conductive loop 5d for tamper protection described later is/are printed or is formed from a metal layer 2, preferably an aluminium sheet which is cut or etched to form the functional circuitry and is laminated with or completely sealed within a protective layer (not shown).
The RFID chip (for example the chip EM4423T IC from EM MICROELECTRONIC-MARIN SA) is preferably an integrated circuit component 5c including the necessary RFID functionality and it is arranged on the surface of the metal layer 2 or printed plastic or paper-based material and has the respective terminals connected with the external circuitry (antenna(s), conductive loop).
The flat support material base 11 further has a PP (polypropylene) synthetic top surface layer 4 laminated on the printed plastic or paper-based material or the metal layer 2. The PP synthetic top surface layer 4 provides a temporary chemical resistance for different chemicals and acids (e.g. acetone, acetonitrile, isopropanol, methanol and 30% hydrochloric acid) typically encountered in the laboratory environment and it protects the RFID microelectronic device 5c and the external circuitry 5a, 5b, 5d. The PP synthetic top surface layer 4 may be adhered to the plastic or paper-based material or the metal layer 2 by an acrylic adhesive layer 3. A similar PP synthetic bottom surface layer (not shown) may be provided as needed
Preferably the flat support material base 11 has, on its bottom surface, an adhesive bottom layer 6 or an adhesive applied to the bottom surface. The adhesive bottom layer 6 may be made from an acrylic adhesive and is covered by a release liner 7 that is to be removed (peeled off) prior to the application of the label to the desired surface.
The RFID microelectronic device 5c included in the support material base 11 (for example the above-mentioned chip EM4423T IC) is configured to communicate with external devices via two different frequency ranges, i.e. UHF and NFC, and thus has two different antennas 5a, 5b connected with the RFID microelectronic device and included in the flat support material base 11, too. The frequency of the NFC Band is 13.55-13.58 MHz. The frequency ranges in the UHF spectrum may be chosen to suit the respective geographical regions in which the label is to be used.
As shown in
A tamper detection function of the RFID label is realized in different ways. In both embodiments the flat support material base 11 has a number of predefined cuts 8 distributed about its outer periphery. The cuts 8 are substantially straight cuts or incisions through or substantially through the thickness of the support material base 11, preferably the PP synthetic top surface layer 4 but not through the metal layer 2 or the printed circuitry. The cuts must not necessarily reach through the entire material thickness but can be limited to a weakening to an extent that pulling on the label opens the cut without the possibility to re-arrange the label.
The cuts 8 are oriented so as to be inclined with respect to an outer edge of the flat support material base in a top view. The cuts 8 are preferably oriented substantially towards a central portion of the flat support material base in the top view, not necessarily a single point but a larger area, but they may be oriented radially from one or more point(s), too. Thus, some of the cuts in the center of the longitudinal extension of the edges may have an angle of about 90° to the edge contour whereas the other cuts are inclined with an angle different from 90°.
The cuts serve as security cuts that would easily break or open in case someone tries to pull off the label after the same is adhered to the surface of the respective container or piece of equipment.
The cuts 8 extend over a length between 3% and 10% of the length of the outer edge of the flat support material base 11 at which they are provided or in the direction of which they extend (X- or Y-direction in
The distribution of the cuts around the periphery not only provides the safety function against tampering or removal but also imparts a certain additional flexibility to the label to accommodate different curvatures along the directions of extension of the surface to which it is to be attached and to improve long-time adherence of the label.
In the preferred embodiment of the label 1′ shown in
The separation structure 9, preferably in the form of the tearing line, is preferably unsymmetrical to define a preferred start of tearing at one side and to eventually stop the tearing at the other side to avoid complete separation of the strip 10.
In the preferred embodiment of the label 1′ shown in
The conductive loop may also be routed through other relevant parts of the label. In addition, a separate conductive loop may be provided in the label to protect, for example, the tampering of the RFID microelectronic device 5c. In addition, the conductive loop can be arranged on the same side surface as the antenna(s) or may be led and arranged to a backside of the antenna layer 2 to have a better protection against external impacts and increased flexibility of arrangement without conflict with the antenna(s) (see
The safety feature of the cuts 8 distributed around the periphery of the label and the safety feature of the conductive loop 5d may be combined in the same label as shown in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19210659.9 | Nov 2019 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2020/082479 | 11/18/2020 | WO |
