Visualant’s ChromaID™ technology is expanding to different applications that can be integrated into everyday working practices of diverse industries and make them more efficient, capable and innovative in processing protected data “hidden” or “encrypted” into physical products.

Visualant’s ChromaID technology was invented when Dr. Thomas Furness, a professor at the University of Washington and pioneer in the field of virtual reality, recognized that every material exhibited a unique light signature when stimulated by visible and invisible structured coherent light sources. Adding additional materials in specific patterns can be detected using the ChromaID technology adding a new dimension of data density, very similar to the way microdots can hide large amounts of information in “plain sight”. This allows the symbols to be easily incorporated into almost any document or on any good (e.g.¸ fabric of high value clothing, handbags, shoes.) In theory, adding these hidden codes could thwart counterfeiters through this “invisible” layer of identification.

Here is a video of Dr. Furness explaining the theoretical concept and application of the ChromaID technology:

Beyond the demonstration in the first video above, Visualant has a commercial device, the Cyclops, which is demonstrated here:

http://youtu.be/rjBbehpnYvE?list=UUVvUXGnwFYDXsKTw5lpjlMQ

At the beginning of this week Visulant announced that it received its seventh patent on its ChromaID technology. Visualant’s latest patent adds a new element to the encoding process by leveraging the Visualant ChromaID scanner’s ability to recognize differences in molecular and atomic structures allowing new data to be added using conventional printing processes without changing the visual appearance of today’s codes.

The patent issued by the United States Office of Patents and Trademarks is US Patent No. 8,888,207 and is entitled “Systems, Methods, and Articles Related to Machine-Readable Indicia and Symbols.”

Ron Erickson, Visualant Founder and CEO, stated, “We believe the ‘invisible bar code’ application of the Visualant ChromaID technology covered by this patent has significant potential in the marketplace. The automatic identification and data capture industry requires ever greater information density and security. Visualant’s ChromaID technology provides both at a low cost and in very flexible form factor.”

Then yesterday, Visualant announced today that Intellectual Ventures (IV) has exclusively licensed to Visualant filed patent applications developed by their inventor network. The patents in question cover a number of unique applications and enhancements of the Visualant ChromaID technology.

ORCA_DEV_KITVisualant and IV entered into a strategic relationship late last year. As part of that agreement, Visualant provided twenty ChromaID development kits to Intellectual Ventures for distribution to twenty inventors and inventor groups in the IV global inventor network. Those inventors returned a significant number of invention disclosures from which IV will file a number of patents based upon the Visualant ChromaID technology. Pursuant to the agreement between the parties, IV filed a number of patents which they have exclusively licensed to Visualant in exchange for a royalty payment resulting from commercialization of the technology. Additionally, IV will pursue commercialization opportunities for the Visualant technology through their own business development process.