Israel-based SCD SemiConductor Devices, a partnership of Rafael & Elbit Systems, together with venture fund SCP Vitalife launched DIR Technologies (Detection I.R), LTD., which implements Infrared technology in support of the pharma industry.

DIR Technologies (Detection I.R), LTD. will deal with the application of Infrared (IR) technology in a variety of non-contact pharmacological tests, such as the identification of counterfeit drugs through the original package, and rigorous quality assurance techniques for the fabrication process of world leading pharma industries.

The company is taking advantage of cutting edges IR technology and has several patents approved for relevant devices and test methods, that provide a solution to the problem of drug.

Despite the huge market of in counterfeit drugs, which is estimated to be several billion dollars per year, there is still no effective solution available to fight the problem. The existing methods are based mostly on holograms or 2D barcode stamping on the package, which are themselves, very easy to fake.

The novel method developed by DIR Technologies, will allow the identification of counterfeit drugs by non-destructive imaging techniques through the original package, in real time and volume quantities.

Located at Leshem industrial park in the Galilee mountains, Israel, SCD develops and manufactures cooled and uncooled infrared detectors and laser diodes. SCD offers a range of off-the-shelf and custom-designed detectors in various configurations. Its products are applied in a variety of military and commercial applications, such as IR seekers, thermal imagers, night navigation systems, NDT industrial equipment, laser rangefinders and laser designators

SCP Vitalife is a Life Sciences fund, with a focus on the medical instrumentation field.
The fund operates from two centers in Tel Aviv and Philadelphia, and invests in Israeli and American companies.

The Israeli defense industry is a source of novel technologies that can sometimes be adapted to provide solutions to substantial medical problems. SCP Vitalife is in close contact to this industry, and keeps looking for new technologies suitable for the medical field.