New Fingerprinting process reveals Drug Use and Medical History

This is not released yet and is still being tested for false positives, but I think we have some privacy issues at hand. A finger print that reveals cancer is pretty amazing. For pre-employment tests, this could open a whole new world, but again what goes along with the drug analysis, could one not be employed if their fingerprint showed they had cancer or were a diabetic or had heart disease?

Good for the police and their investigation efforts in catching criminals, but if it spreads through healthcare, it could become one of those known as “intrusive technologies” if used the wrong way, either that or we spend the rest of our lives wearing gloves. The product is anticipated as being “very cheap” as well. The doctors in the ER might like this to gain information quickly to tell if a emergency victim is a diabetic or other medical conditions or just to see if they are whacked on drugs for that matter.

A couple hospitals are already using scanners that match your identify through a scan of your hand.

Hospitals to use Fujitsu hand scans to register patients - Florida

We may have thought scanning an identification card could really be convenient, this hospital chain will now allow you to check with with the palm of your hand. Video can be seen here. BD

Dec. 10, 2008 -- A careless touch could be all police or insurance companies need to determine not only your identity, but also your past drug use, if you've fired a gun or handled explosives, even specific medical conditions.

So far the scientists can detect five different drugs: THC (marijuana), cocaine, nicotine, methadone and a derivative of methadone. Other drugs, particularly opium-based drugs like heroine or morphine, should also be detectable, since antibodies already exist for them as well.

The new technique attaches the iron oxide particles to antibodies and suspends them both in a liquid solution, which is then drizzled over a fingerprint. If the chemical that a specific antibody targets is present, the molecules latch onto it and glow.

Drugs aren't the only chemicals the new tests could detect. Cancer, diabetes, heart disease and other medical conditions produce specific chemicals also secreted in sweat and oil. By tweaking the antibodies on the particles, forensic scientists could test for a variety of medical conditions. This could help police track down a suspect by, say, watching the local kidney dialysis clinic if the suspect has kidney failure.

"If I come to your office and leave a fingerprint on your desk, you now have a biomedical sample of me," said Cooks. "You can then proceed to find out as much information about me as you want," from what lotion you used that morning to what drugs you did last night.