Mantra Softech gets US patent for OCT fingerprint biometric liveness detection

A new fingerprint biometric liveness detection method based on optical coherence tomography (OCT) from India-based Mantra Softech is now patent-protected, according to a company announcement.

The invention described in the patent granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is for an “Optical Fingerprint Scanner and Method for Detecting Optical Coherent Gating Liveness.” The method consists of measuring the optical properties of the subsurface, or internal surface plane, of the finger.

Mantra’s method is to capture the conventional, external image of the fingerprint, as well as the internal microstructure of the finger by shining a broadband light source at it. The light from the second source goes through a beam splitter, a collimating lens and a Michelson interferometer for coherent gating, generating an image which “reflects the spatial micro profile depth or reflectance properties of the preselected internal surface plane.”

This integration of optical coherent gating based on OCT enables robust liveness detection, Mantra says, effectively detecting and preventing a wide array of biometric spoof attacks.

Mantra has offered fingerprint biometric scanners with built-in presentation attack detection (PAD) for some time, such as the MELO31 FAP30 device launched in 2023. That PAD system is based on measuring how light is reflected or refracted by the skin.

The new liveness detection method based on OCT is cost-effective, compact and highly secure, the company states, with lower complexity and computational overhead than multispectral or 3D optical systems.

Mantra Softech Founder Hiren Bhandari says the patent is “a testament to the strength of our R&D” and of Indian technology on the global stage more generally.

It also adds to Mantra’s global credibility and opens the door to international licensing, commercial partnerships and product integrations.

Mantra says the liveness detection method is suitable for industries where identity verification and fraud prevention are critically important, like banking and finance, border security and immigration, defense and law enforcement, government welfare programs, healthcare, workforce management and consumer electronics.

Article Topics

biometric liveness detection  |  biometrics  |  Mantra Softech  |  patents  |  presentation attack detection  |  research and development