A mobile, wireless biometric identification system includes a biometric capture device which enables a smartphone, using a commercially established wireless communication networks, to capture a digital image of a human biometric (iris, fingerprint, etc.) for transmission to a central server. The biometric capture device captures a high quality image for encoding and comparison, while the overall system leverages the existing cellular communication network. The device can be used as an interface to medical databases and devices used to diagnose and treat patients.