this invention relates to the use of holographic optical elements in the design and application of biometric scanning instruments used typically for capturing biometric information such as fingerprints and handprints . holographic optical elements provide the opportunity for fingerprint scanning manufacturers to reduce product development cycle times , reduce product cost , size , and weight , and provide optical design flexibility not afforded by common glass and plastic optical elements . the present invention discusses various instrument embodiments employing holographic optical elements utilizing methods of holographic image reconstruction .