Detection and tracking system using tattoos

An apparatus, comprising:

• an energy source configured for directing electromagnetic (EM) radiation onto or proximate a tattoo on an individual to produce signal radiation;
• means for producing detected radiation from said signal radiation by utilizing at least one of spectroscopy and radar detection;
• means for forming an image of at least a portion of said detected radiation;
• a database of image-information of a plurality of known tattoos;
• and
• means for determining if said image correlates to at least a portion of a known tattoo of said plurality of known tattoos.

A method, comprising:

• providing a beam of monochromatic electromagnetic radiation (EMR);
• splitting said beam into a first beam and a second beam;
• monitoring the intensity of said second beam;
• directing at least part of said first beam onto a plurality of points on human tissue, wherein some of said EMR will be absorbed, some will be scattered and some will be reflected, wherein the portions of said EMR that are scattered and reflected are referred to herein as return EMR;
• monitoring the intensity of said return EMR;
• normalizing the monitored intensity of said second beam with the monitored intensity of said return EMR to produce a normalized signal;
• scanning the wavelength of said EMR across a range of wavelengths that includes an absorption wavelength of a material of interest, wherein the level of said normalized signal will be reduced from unity at said absorption wavelength if said EMR comes in contact with said material of interest;
• producing a two-dimensional data representation of the level of said normalized signal at said absorption wavelength at each point of said plurality of points;
• and
• determining if said two-dimensional data representation correlates to a known tattoo.

A method, comprising:

• providing a multiwavelength input field of electromagnetic radiation (EMR);
• determining the intensity of selected wavelengths at each point of a first plurality of points across said input field to produce a separate input wavelength intensity data set for each said selected wavelength;
• directing said input field onto an area of human tissue, wherein some of said EMR will be absorbed, some will be scattered and some will be reflected, wherein the portions of said EMR that are scattered and reflected are referred to herein as the return field;
• determining the intensity of said selected wavelengths at each of a second plurality of points across said return field, wherein each point of said first plurality of points corresponds to a separate point of said second plurality of points to produce a separate return wavelength intensity data set for each said selected wavelength;
• subtracting each said separate return wavelength intensity data set for each said selected wavelength from each corresponding said separate input wavelength intensity data set for each said selected wavelength to produce a differential data set for each said selected wavelength;
• and
• determining if a known tattoo correlates to said differential data set.

An apparatus, comprising:

• means for providing a beam of monochromatic electromagnetic radiation (EMR);
• means for splitting said beam into a first beam and a second beam;
• means for monitoring the intensity of said second beam;
• means for directing at least part of said first beam onto a plurality of points on human tissue, wherein some of said EMR will be absorbed, some will be scattered and some will be reflected, wherein the portions of said EMR that are scattered and reflected are referred to herein as return EMR;
• means for monitoring the intensity of said return EMR;
• means for normalizing the monitored intensity of said second beam with the monitored intensity of said return EMR to produce a normalized signal;
• means for scanning the wavelength of said EMR across a range of wavelengths that includes an absorption wavelength of a material of interest, wherein the level of said normalized signal will be reduced from unity at said absorption wavelength if said EMR comes in contact with said material of interest;
• means for producing a two-dimensional data representation of the level of said normalized signal at said absorption wavelength at each point of said plurality of points;
• and
• means for determining if said two-dimensional data representation correlates to a known tattoo.

An apparatus, comprising:

• means for providing a multiwavelength input field of electromagnetic radiation (EMR);
• means for determining the intensity of selected wavelengths at each point of a first plurality of points across said input field to produce a separate input wavelength intensity data set for each said selected wavelength;
• means for directing said input field onto an area of human tissue, wherein some of said EMR will be absorbed, some will be scattered and some will be reflected, wherein the portions of said EMR that are scattered and reflected are referred to herein as the return field;
• means for determining the intensity of said selected wavelengths at each of a second plurality of points across said return field, wherein each point of said first plurality of points corresponds to a separate point of said second plurality of points to produce a separate return wavelength intensity data set for each said selected wavelength;
• means for subtracting each said separate return wavelength intensity data set for each said selected wavelength from each corresponding said separate input wavelength intensity data set for each said selected wavelength to produce a differential data set for each said selected wavelength;
• and
• means for determining if a known tattoo correlates to said differential data set.