Hospital Worker’s Pyxis Fingerprint Storage Claims Move Ahead

Becton Dickinson & Co. must defend against claims that it unlawfully collected fingerprint scan information from a hospital employee through his workplace use of its Pyxis MedStation device, a federal judge in Illinois ruled.

Corey Heard’s amended class action complaint “has sufficiently alleged an active step by BD to collect, capture, or otherwise obtain Pyxis users’ biometric data,” which could make it liable under the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act, Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer said on Tuesday.

The Pyxis device uses fingerprint scans to authorize the dispensation of certain medications. In creating a user fingerprint template, the system allegedly extracts ...