LASIK and Eye Surgery Blog - Clearview Eye and Laser Medical Center

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Iris Scanning as Identification Technology

BI2 Technologiesâ„¢ in Plymouth, MA, a company that provides technology for biometric intelligence and identification, has developed an iris recognition technology that gives reliably accurate identification. It is named I.R.I.S.â„¢ which stands for Inmate Recognition and Identification System.

How Iris Scanning Works

The system uses automatic voice prompting and automatic focusing. It detects an individual immediately as he or she approaches the digital camera. The person simply looks briefly in the aperture mirror and images are captured of both irises. These are processed into a format called an IrisCode® record. The person being identified must agree to participate and must look into the camera from a distance of 3" to 10".

Portable or Fixed

Law enforcement officials can use a portable system in the field or in their vehicle. It adds accuracy and speed to fingerprint identification and can be integrated with existing jail management systems. It could help prevent escape attempts based on false identities. It can catch each new alias an offender might have, as he is apprehended under each alias.

Identifying Sex Offenders

This is to warn family neighborhoods of a sex offender moving in after being released from jail. Minnesota led the way in its Sex Offender Registration Act, and the nation has been working to build a comprehensive, nationwide registry of sex offenders. Sheriff's offices in California, New Mexico, and Massachusetts have acquired iris recognition technology and begun to create their own databases.

How is This Accuracy Possible?

Because no two irises are the same. Not only is the iris unique, but each human eye is unique, as every LASIK surgeon knows who has used Wavefront technology. Your two eyes are each one-of-a-kind, and if Dr. Feldman were to give them LASIK treatments, each treatment would be unique. Nor do twins have similar irises. After the age of about one year, the iris does not change throughout a person’s life.

Growing Popularity

BI2 Technologies has also developed a similar system for locating missing children. It is called The Child Projectâ„¢. Similar technology is becoming more popular in:

  • Health care – where it limits access to sensitive areas such as newborn nurseries and medical records storage
  • Aviation – where it speeds up boarding procedures
  • Schools – where it helps in identifying students and ensures that only authorized parents or caregivers can pick children up after school
  • Corporate buildings – where it provides access control

Vision and eye health research is being done constantly and technology continues to become more refined and sophisticated. At ClearViewEye, we keep up with all new vision correction technology and ideas, and when we feel they are safe and reliable we use them to give you the best vision possible. Please contact us for a free consultation if you would like to know more.

posted by JennyK at 4:17 PM

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Sandy T. Feldman, M.D., M.S. :: ClearView Eye and Laser Medical Center
6255 Lusk Blvd., Suite 100 :: San Diego, California 92121

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