The Indiana Blood Center is deploying BIO-key’s WEB-key biometric ID technology to provide a secure means for donors to confirm their identity.

This touchpad identification replaces the need to present a state-issued photo ID card, such as a driver’s license, as is the current standard operating procedure. The biometric software encrypts the donor’s fingerprint template to ensure privacy and guarantee that it cannot be recreated.

When a donor is first enrolled, the BIO-key software creates a template based on the person’s fingerprint and associates that template with the record identifier for the donor. With each visit to an Indiana Blood Center site or mobile collection unit, a donor places his finger on the reader to reestablish their identity. “Adopting the latest technology in fingerprint identification on the donor side complements Indiana Blood Centers’ high-tech capabilities in blood typing, testing and processing that most donors never see,” said Indiana Blood Center President and CEO, Byron Buhner.