New York - In addition to the loss of fingerprints, dermatitis can also cause abnormal white lines on the fingertips that disrupt their fingerprint. These abnormal white lines appear because of wrinkles fingers. The researchers also suspect, a white line appears as a part of the skin is cut, thus destroying the fingerprint pattern.
Even so, the causal illegible fingerprints scanners can also be caused by biological factors. "Dermatitis is one of the many factors which can certainly affect the quality of the fingerprint image," said Steve Fischer, a spokesman of the Information Center of the Criminal Justice Division of the FBI.
Therefore, some fingerprints of people with certain professions can not be read by the scanner. For example, workers should wash their hands constantly, a mechanic who often exposed to oil in the engine oil and metals, or a chef who often cut onion near the thumb and index finger.
Because hand dermatitis is not a rare problem, "there may be a large number of individuals who are prevented by fingerprint technology," explains Dr. Bruce Brod of the University of Pennsylvania. "In terms of treatment for hand dermatitis, we are still lagging behind. This tends to be a very chronic," said Brod.
Adults who have dry skin palms four times more difficult to verify fingerprints through a computerized scanner compared to those without. Not just dry, the hands that have experienced dermatitis or eczema are also difficult to detect the scan tool. A recent study in Malaysia has been proved.
"As the use of biometrics appear in everyday life, I think it would be a problem hand dermatitis in the future," said lead researcher, Dr Kek Lee Chew, a dermatologist at UCSI University in Kuala Lumpur. "This could have an effect on the economy, jobs and security," said Lee.
Cracked skin or swelling can damage a crack or unique patterns found in individual fingerprint. The pattern of cracks or uniqueness of fingerprints can also be damaged by inflammation of the skin caused by an allergic reaction.
In this study, UCSI team recruited 100 patients with dermatitis that can affect both your thumb and other fingers. They also recruited 100 other participants with the fingers of healthy comparison group. Each individual's fingerprint is scanned up to three times to get an accurate comparison.
As a result, 27 of the 100 patients who had eczema on the finger can not be read by the fingerprint scanner. Meanwhile, from the comparison group or who do not have dermatitis on her finger, only 2 patients who can not read fingerprints.
Meanwhile, 84 patients have areas where they lost a thumb print. This is because the rough skin and spots appear around the area. The larger the area that is lost, it is increasingly difficult to be identified by a fingerprint scan tool.
