The iris has been historically recognized to possess characteristics unique to each individual. In the mid-1980s, two ophthalmologists--Drs. Leonard Flom and Aran Safir--proposed the concept that no two irises are alike. They researched and documented the potential of using the iris for identifying people and were awarded a patent in 1987. Soon after, the intricate and sophisticated algorithm that brought the concept to reality was developed by Dr. John Daugman and patented in 1994. The original work and continued development have established Iridian's iris recognition algorithm as the mathematically unrivaled means for authentication.