October 20, 2005

Retinal scans on trials for US cattle ID
  

US scientists are testing an eye-scanning technology for use in a national cattle ID system.

Manny Encinias, a scientist from New Mexico State University's Clayton Livestock Research Center, said that the process will be painless for cattle as a beam of light flashes into the eyeball and records the vein pattern in the eye, calling this process "a growing technological trend in cattle identification".

The research is part of a USDA effort to implement a National Animal Identification System, which will track all animals that had contact with a significant disease within 48 hours of an initial diagnosis.

In a first-of-its kind project for US state New Mexico, scientists used a US$3,000 retinal scanner not much bigger than a small video camera to record IDs at three locations during a six-month period.

The scanner transfers the image data into a computer database. As each retina is unique, an eye scan is thus considered one of the most accurate forms of identification.

A final report on this retinal animal ID technology will be submitted to the USDA soon.