Retinal scanning uses a low-intensity light source and delicate sensor to scan the pattern of blood vessels at the back of the retina, a pattern unique to each individual. It is difficult to fake and boasts an error rate of 1 in 10,000,000. It is used for high-end security applications and is accessible for as low as $220.
Used almost exclusively in high-end security applications, retinal scanning uses a low-intensity light source and delicate sensor to scan the pattern of blood vessels at the back of the retina, a pattern unique to each individual. While it was known as early as the 1930s that each human eyeball had unique characteristics, it wasn’t until 1984 that the first retinal scanner was made available for commercial use. It was manufactured by EyeDentify, a company incorporated in 1976, still the leading manufacturer of these devices.
During a retinal scan, the user must remove the glasses, stare at a specific point, and keep their head still for the 10-15 seconds it takes to complete the scan. This type of scan is very difficult to fake because there is no technology to fake a human retina, and a deceased person’s retina decays too quickly to be used to fraudulently bypass such a scan.
Retinal scanning is part of biometrics, the field of science and engineering that develops ways to uniquely identify individuals. The most popular form of biometrics employed today is obviously the fingerprint, although the error rate for fingerprint identification sometimes reaches 1 in 500. A
retinal scanning, on the other hand, boasts an error rate of 1 in 10,000,000. Its close relative, the iris scan, is slightly less accurate, maintaining an error rate of about 1 in 131,000.
Traditionally used to block physical gateways, such as those guarding power plant cores or military installations, retinal scanning has recently been employed to safeguard critical computers and their data. Retinal scanning retails for as low as $220, making it accessible to anyone who wants to maintain high levels of security. Furthermore, it is probably the most accurate biometric available, far surpassing the fingerprint in terms of both reliability and accuracy.
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