Stable isotopic identification and method for identifying products by isotopic concentration

Abstract

A stable isotopic identification comprising a mathematical array of concentrations of isotopes found in a product, said mathematical array being presented in a machine readable form and comparable to analytical results whereby the product can be distinguished from other similar products, said machine readable form also being indexed through stored product information. The stored product information may be displayed when desired. By the stable isotopic identification of the invention, a product may be securely traced through manufacturing of a product, marketing of a product and the use of a product. A method of identifying products is also provided utilizing the stable isotopic identification including the steps of analyzing a product for the concentration of isotopes, arranging the concentrations of the isotopes in a mathematical array, formulating the mathematical in a machine readable form, assembling product information, and indexing the product information to the machine readable form of the mathematical array, maintaining both the indexing and the product information, and when desired measuring the isotopic concentration of a comparable substance, comparing mathematical arrays, and accessing stored product information through the indexing of the same to product information, whereby a product may be traced through manufacturing, the marketplace and use, identified, and indexed to product information.

1 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . A method for objectively identifying a known product, comprising:
 obtaining isotopic data from elements present in said product;   providing a mathematical array that includes the isotopic data, the mathematical array being fixed in a readable form, said readable form with said mathematical array fixed thereon being an identification of said product;   wherein the isotopic data does not include data obtained from a taggant; and   wherein the product comprises a member selected from the group consisting of a pharmaceutical product and a manufactured chemical product.   
     
     
         42 . The method in accordance with  claim 41  wherein the product is a manufactured chemical product. 
     
     
         43 . The method in accordance with  claim 41  wherein product is a pharmaceutical product 
     
     
         44 . The method in accordance with  claim 43  wherein the pharmaceutical product is selected from the group consisting of an active pharmaceutical ingredient, an excipient, an impurity, a raw material, a precursor, an intermediate and a drug product. 
     
     
         45 . The method in accordance with  claim 41  wherein the product does not include a taggant. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 41  wherein said elements are selected from the group of elements consisting of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur and combinations thereof, said isotopes being any of the thirteen stable isotopes thereof. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 41  wherein said elements are selected from the group of elements that have more than two isotopes, said isotopes being any of the 224 stable isotopes thereof. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said elements are selected from the group of elements that have two isotopes. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said data is determined by an analysis selected from the group of analyses consisting of bulk phase analysis and specific compound analysis. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein said bulk phase analysis includes off-line dual inlet isotope ratio mass spectrometry (irMS) and on-line combustion coupled with high resolution isotope ratio monitoring/mass spectrometry (irmMS). 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein said specific compound analysis includes gas chromatography coupled with irMS (irmGCMS) and liquid chromatography coupled with irMS (irmLCMS). 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein said analysis includes nuclear magnetic resonance. 
     
     
         53 . A method for objectively identifying a known product, comprising:
 obtaining isotopic data from elements present in said product;   providing a mathematical array that includes the isotopic data, the mathematical array being fixed in a readable form, said readable form having said mathematical array fixed thereon being an identification of said product;   wherein the isotopic data comprises isotopic data for at least one isotope of an element selected from the group consisting of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur; and   wherein the product comprises a member selected from the group consisting of a pharmaceutical product and a manufactured chemical product.   
     
     
         54 . The method in accordance with  claim 53  wherein the product is a manufactured chemical product. 
     
     
         55 . The method in accordance with  claim 53  wherein product is a pharmaceutical product 
     
     
         56 . The method in accordance with  claim 55  wherein the pharmaceutical product is selected from the group consisting of an active pharmaceutical ingredient, an excipient, an impurity, a raw material, a precursor, an intermediate and a drug product. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 53  wherein said isotopic data comprises data selected from the group consisting of one or more intrinsic concentrations of isotopes, one or more ratios of intrinsic concentrations of two isotopes, one or more mathematical products of intrinsic isotopic concentrations or ratios, one or more lists of a plurality of mathematical products of intrinsic isotopic concentrations or ratios, one or more groups of any such lists, one or more groups of any such mathematical products, one or more groups of any such ratios, one or more groups of any such concentrations, one or more mathematical products of any such concentrations plus or minus their error added, one or more mathematical products of any such ratios plus or minus their error added, any such concentrations, ratios, lists, groups and mathematical products in quadrature, one or more of any such concentrations plus or minus their errors added, one or more of any such ratios plus or minus their errors added, factor analysis of any such concentrations, ratios, lists, groups, mathematical products, and any determinants and combinations thereof present in said product. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 53  wherein at least a portion of said mathematical array fixed in a readable form is associated with said product through manufacturing, marketing and use. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 53  wherein said mathematical array and product information associated with the product are fixed in machine readable form. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59  wherein said mathematical array and said product information are indexed to said product in the form of machine readable serial numbers, bar codes, and other numerical and alphabetical indicia. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 59  wherein said mathematical array and said product information are stored in memory on a machine; wherein said machine readable forms and product information are indexed; and wherein said machine readable forms once identified through the index presents stored product information in displayed form. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein said product information may be scrolled through. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein said product information may be printed. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein said product information may be accessed through said index from said machine readable form of said mathematical array. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein said mathematical array is indexed to said product information in said readable form. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein said product information is in a form operable to be scrolled, downloaded or printed. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the mathematical array further includes an error of identification, the error of identification being selected based upon the mathematical array chosen, the number of concentrations of isotopes utilized in said array, and the portion of said array compared with a second array. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein said concentrations of isotopes are determined by an analysis selected from the group of analyses consisting of bulk phase analysis and specific compound analysis. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 68 , wherein said bulk phase analysis includes off-line dual inlet isotope ratio mass spectrometry (irMS) and on-line combustion coupled with high resolution isotope ratio monitoring/mass spectrometry (irmMS). 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 68 , wherein said specific compound analysis includes gas chromatography coupled with irMS (irmGCMS) and liquid chromatography coupled with irMS (irmLCMS). 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 68 , wherein said analysis includes nuclear magnetic resonance. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 68  wherein the mathematical array further includes a calculated value indicating the precision of said bulk phase analysis and said specific compound analysis; and wherein the calculated value is the 1-sigma standard deviation of the analysis performed divided by the square root of the number of observations of said analysis. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 68  wherein the mathematical array further includes a calculated value indicating the dynamic range of said bulk phase analysis and said specific compound analysis; and wherein the calculated value is equal to the observed range divided by the 1-sigma standard deviation. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 73  wherein the dynamic range is the range of values expected for an analysis divided by the 1-sigma standard deviation of that analysis. 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 53  wherein said obtaining comprises obtaining intrinsic isotopic concentrations of C 13 , N 15 , O 18  and H 3  in a sample; wherein the mathematical array further includes a calculated value representing the specificity of the identification; and wherein the specificity is calculated by the following equation:
   Specificity=(1σ−δ 13 C/Δδ 13 C)*(1σ−δ 15 N/Δδ 15 N)*(1σ−δ 18 O/Δδ 18 O)*(1σδD/ΔδD)   
     
     
         76 . A method for objectively identifying a known product, comprising:
 determining a tolerable error of identification value, the tolerable error of identification being suitable, when coupled to isotopic data measured from the known product, to distinguish the known product from a product of a different batch with an acceptable level of confidence;   selecting a number of different isotopes in the known product to be analyzed, the number being suitable to achieve a calculated error of identification that is less than the tolerable error of identification;   obtaining isotopic data for the selected number of different isotopes from elements present in said product; and   providing a mathematical array that includes the isotopic data and the calculated error of identification, the mathematical array being fixed in a readable form, said readable form with said mathematical array fixed thereon being an identification of said product;   wherein the isotopic data does not include data obtained from a taggant.   
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 76  wherein the calculated error of identification is the 1-sigma standard deviation of the analysis performed divided by the square root of the number of observations of said analysis. 
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 76  wherein the calculated error of identification is a dynamic range equal to the observed range divided by the 1-sigma standard deviation. 
     
     
         79 . The method of  claim 78  wherein the calculated error of identification is a dynamic range equal to the range of values expected for an analysis divided by the 1-sigma standard deviation of that analysis. 
     
     
         80 . The method of  claim 76  wherein said obtaining comprises obtaining intrinsic isotopic concentrations of C 13 , N 15 , O 18  and H 3  in a sample; and wherein the calculated error of identification is a specificity value calculated by the following equation:
   Specificity=(1σ−δ 13 C/Δδ 13 C)*(1σ−δ 15 N/Δδ 15 N)*(1σ−δ 18 O/Δδ 18 O)*(1σ−δD/ΔδD)