Cellular Bioengineering Inc., a Honolulu-based technology company, said its begun refining uses of a miniature identification tag technology that could help cut counterfeiting of goods ranging from medicine to currency to aircraft parts.

The company said its licensed technology and is developing applications for tiny identification tags made of silica that carry a custom-manufactured spectral signature. As such a worker using a reader could determine fake goods from authentic ones carrying the tags.
Cellular Bioengineering said it is developing some of the applications under a government grant to combat counterfeit drugs, but is seeking input from other potential customers on possible uses, types of reading devices and software that might be needed.
The silica being used is biologically inert and edible and each tag costs less than a penny. That compares to radio-frequency identifiers that can’t be used on small items and cost between 7 and 15 cents each, Cellular Bioengineering said.
The company said it is collaborating with Silicon Kinetics of San Diego on the project.