Limited life optical media

Abstract

Limited life optical media and methods of making same are described. The limited life optical media includes at least one reactive substance that prohibits continued access to at least part of the information contained on the media after a prescribed period of time. In addition to at least one reactive substance, an antioxidant substance is present as part of the limited life optical media to modulate, in part, the action of the at least one reactive substance.

1 . A limited-play optical medium, comprising at least one substrate layer having defined thereon information encoded features, said information encoded features are readable by a reading device for reading said limited-play optical medium; at least one reflective layer coupled to said at least one substrate layer; at least one reactive substance that changes at least one optical property or physical property in response to a predefined stimulus, wherein said change in at least one optical property or physical property of said at least one reactive substance permanently and irreversibly prohibits the reading device from reading at least a portion of said information encoded features after a predetermined period of time; wherein said at least one reactive substance is located between said at least one substrate layer and said at least one reflective layer; and at least one antioxidant material in communication with said reactive substance.  
   
   
       2 . The limited-play optical medium of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one reflective layer is a metal layer formed of silver.  
   
   
       3 . The limited-play optical medium of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one reflective layer is a metal layer formed of gold.  
   
   
       4 . The limited-play optical medium of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one reflective layer is a metal layer formed of aluminum.  
   
   
       5 . The limited-play optical medium of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one reflective layer is formed of silicon.  
   
   
       6 . The limited-play optical medium of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one substrate layer comprise polycarbonate.  
   
   
       7 . The limited-play optical medium of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one reactive substance comprises an oxidizing reactive compound.  
   
   
       8 . The limited-play optical medium of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one reactive substance comprises a spiropyran compound.  
   
   
       9 . The limited-play optical medium of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one reactive substance is selected from a group of dyes consisting of methylene blue, brilliant cresyl blue, basic blue 3, and toluidine blue 0.