iPhone App From AOptix Offers Biometrics for Health Care, Public Safety

by Brian T. Horowitz

Attaching the clamshell-like AOptix Stratus MX sleeve makes the iPhone capable of 3-foot drops to concrete, and by conforming to the Ingress Protection (IP) – 54 standard, the iPhone with the AOptix attached can survive exposure to dust and water. The Apple device replaces an inconvenient system made up of separate laptop computers, Webcams and fingerprint sensors, according to the company.

AOptix Stratus could allow hospitals to verify the identity of patients checking in to a hospital. Doctors and nurses could use biometric capabilities such as fingerprints to ensure they’re giving the right medication to the right patient, Pritikin noted.

Optics can deliver high-quality imagery, which is essential for accuracy when using biometrics, Pritikin said. Biometrics such as iris tests and fingerprint readers can be used to match patients with their electronic health records (EHRs), Pritikin said. Doctors can also check that the patient matches up with insurance data. In addition, the app can work with the Bluetooth capabilities of the iPhone to authenticate health-monitoring sensors, Pritikin suggested.

The Stratus could confirm the identity of international disaster relief recipients in remote areas and help reduce fraud, according to AOptix.

A public safety officer could rely on the identification capabilities of Stratus if a person being questioned doesn’t have identification, Pritikin said.

The app can verify the identity of both caregivers and patients during a house call or remote care, Pritikin said. “Where there’s home-based health care, being able to authenticate the patient and caregiver in that kind of environment is of substantial value,” Pritikin said.

Using Context Capture, public safety officers can maintain a “stand-off distance” of up to about 2.5 feet from individuals they need to identify. This feature also allows users to store up to four images per record or a maximum of 1,836 by 2,448 pixels.

Although the Stratus MX sleeve is required for iris and fingerprint recognition, its iOS app delivers voice and facial recognition capabilities. Face Capture conforms to the 19794-5 standard by the International Standards Organization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) governing biometric face imaging data. It lets users de-rotate images if the face is turned 5 degrees or more.

Stratus allows users such as public safety officers and health care professionals to capture images from both eyes at the same time. Biometric authentication could help build trust among doctors and patients, according to Pritikin. “Because of changeover and the way health care is delivered, there isn’t the time to build trust, and authentication becomes necessary,” Pritikin said.

In the iOS app, medical professionals or public safety officers can keep track of the methods of biometric authentication used on a patient or suspect, including iris testing, face recognition, fingerprint imaging and voice recognition.