Iris Identification Biometrics Vs. The Hand-Painted Iris On A Prosthetic Contact Lens: So Far, The Iris ID Machine Knows The Difference
Stan Harper CEO of Adventures in Color Technology, Ltd., always wondered if an Adventures lens could fool the iris identification machine. So in October - when exhibiting at a major East Coast optometric trade how in New Jersey - Harper called on the R&D staff at Iridian Technologies in Moorestown, NJ, to test their hand-painted lenses on the biometric equipment.
Golden, Colo. (PRWEB) January 15, 2003 -- "Our company creates prosthetic contacts with a very real looking hand-painted iris. We work hard to make the prosthetic contact match the patient's good eye. As we've heard about the development of the iris identification biometric technology, of course we've wondered - both out of ordinary curiosity and concern for public safety - if our lenses could fool the identification machine," Stan Harper, CEO of Adventures in Color Technology, Ltd., says. "That's why we took our lenses to Iridian Technologies a few months ago for testing."
It turns out the Adventures lenses are created with what are called "reactive dyes." These dyes are the ones approved for such use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) here in the United States. The lenses made with the reactive dyes did not register on the Iris Identification machine at all.
According to Harper, there are other dyes called "vat dyes" that can be used to create iris images on soft contacts. These are being used in Europe. To Stan Harper's knowledge these have not yet been tested on the iris identification equipment.
Per a 9/23/02 article in the Washington Post: "Voltmer [Bill, CEO of Iridian Technologies] conceded that the devices aren't completely foolproof, which highlights a recurring question about relying solely on biometrics to protect secure areas. The comparatively high reliability and seemingly tamperproof nature of the devices could lull users into a false sense of security, according to critics."
"We're not being at all critical or cynical about this emerging technology - it's quite amazing and, hopefully, will help make our world a more secure place. We're simply concerned and curious about iris identification technology in relation to our hand-painted lenses. That's why we called on Iridian last October," Stan Harper explains.
Adventures In Color Technology, Ltd., serves eye care practitioners both in private practice and at teaching hospitals and universities throughout the world, developing colors and patterns for patients and continuing research for other retinal problems. Hopefully, to soon help patients with macular degeneration, a debilitating loss of vision as the macula in the back of the eye becomes less and less responsive to light entering the eye through the pupil. This condition is the leading cause of blindness in our older population.
The company's headquarters is located at 1800 Jackson Street, Golden, Colo., 80401. Harper may be reached at 303-271-9644, toll-free at 1-800-537-2845 or by e-mail at info@techcolors.com. The company website is http://www.techcolors.com.
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