First, I really enjoy the fact of the tech tree and how things work there, from the red dot that lets you know new information is available to the highlight box around what is presently in research. But in a large modpack, or with limited storage options, there are two suggestions I have for additional "prompts" in the tech tree scanner.

First, a black dot on the icons (in a corner like the red one presently) to let us know that there is no more research possible with that item (would save time in having to put an item back into the scanner to find out when we've been doing other things than futurepack). The second, some other color dot that reminds us we already made one of that item, or we have one of that item somewhere.

These two visual representations would help remind, us when we come back to futurepack research, after a delve into another mod, or after a break in play where we might not remember what we did. It would also maybe help so we're not making additional items we've already made and tossed into a chest somewhere (for those running a pack without advanced storage type mods).

This is a realy good idea, but well knowing you have made an item but not used it alredy or scanning id realy hard, because some mods (storage drawers, RFStorage) have realy "weird" inventorys so searching them is hard, also I can't tell if this is your chest/drawers/... or from someone else (because most mods dotn store the owner/placer somewhere).
This could result in something like: "You can progress because you can steal the n eeded items from your neighbour". SO this will be tricky, but its a nice idea :)

The search sounds a bit complicated, but with most advanced storage mods, they have their own search to help you find it IF you know you already made one. That is more my idea and intention with this. A simple flag that would update the icon to show that yes, you have already made one, so that way you can search the inventories yourself. That alone would be helpful given the size of the mod and the days it takes to progress through it. I wouldn't worry about it having to search inventories as such. Just a simple flag that triggers an icon update after you craft one. =)