Fingerprints and footwear marks

Using IRIS technology

HOSDB developed and produced the Integrated Rapid Imaging System (IRIS) for the digital capture of fingerprints in police laboratories.

What is the Integrated Rapid Imaging System?

IRIS consists of a scientific grade digital camera integrated with forensic light sources and infra-red and fluorescent filter. It is capable of capturing fingerprints developed using all current fingerprint development techniques.

The digital capture system eliminates time-consuming conventional photography and subsequent processing and has significantly reduced turnaround times and backlogs in laboratories where it has been installed.

Images are stored with a full audit trail and can be quickly transferred to Ident1, the national fingerprint database. Images can also be imported from scene of crime cameras and rescaled for input to Ident1.

There are currently twenty five IRIS workstations in use in the UK, some capturing in excess of 100 fingerprints every day. 

Ongoing support

We have put in place a framework agreement with Perceptive Solutions (+44 (0) 1256 883700) for the ongoing support of IRIS workstations.  They are experienced in the support of machine vision systems and have expertise as the developer of the IRIS Imager software.  The support of the machines was transferred on 1 April 2007.

We are planning to identify whether there are commercial organisations who would be interested in manufacturing further workstations.

We will continue to have involvement in the development of the IRIS Imager software.  Revisions will be made to import a larger number of RAW file types and to allow perspective correction of fingerprint and footwear marks not taken at perpendicular angles to the mark.