A system comprising: an iris imager (324; 462) configured to acquire an iris image of an eye (324; 410; 500) having an iris, the iris associated with a first iris cell location and with a second iris cell location; and one or more processors (460; 612) configured to perform a method comprising: receiving a first iris image from the iris imager, the first iris image comprising a first iris cell corresponding to a first iris cell location; receiving a second iris image from the iris imager, the second iris image comprising a second iris cell corresponding to a second iris cell location; generating a first composite iris code associated with the eye, the first composite iris code based on the first iris image and based further on the second iris image, the first composite iris code comprising a third iris cell corresponding to the first iris cell location and further comprising a fourth iris cell corresponding to the second iris cell location; comparing the first composite iris code and a first stored iris code; and generating a first match value based on the comparison; characterized in that generating the first composite iris code comprises: applying a first distribution metric to the first iris image to determine the third iris cell, wherein applying the first distribution metric to the first iris image comprises: determining a first iris code based on the first iris image; and determining that a value of the first iris code, the value corresponding to the first iris cell, is a dominant value; and applying a second distribution metric to the second iris image to determine the fourth iris cell, wherein applying the second distribution metric to the second iris image comprises: determining a second iris code based on the second iris image; and determining that a value of the second iris code, the value corresponding to the second iris cell, is a dominant value. an iris imager (324; 462) configured to acquire an iris image of an eye (324; 410; 500) having an iris, the iris associated with a first iris cell location and with a second iris cell location; and one or more processors (460; 612) configured to perform a method comprising: receiving a first iris image from the iris imager, the first iris image comprising a first iris cell corresponding to a first iris cell location; receiving a second iris image from the iris imager, the second iris image comprising a second iris cell corresponding to a second iris cell location; generating a first composite iris code associated with the eye, the first composite iris code based on the first iris image and based further on the second iris image, the first composite iris code comprising a third iris cell corresponding to the first iris cell location and further comprising a fourth iris cell corresponding to the second iris cell location; comparing the first composite iris code and a first stored iris code; and generating a first match value based on the comparison; receiving a first iris image from the iris imager, the first iris image comprising a first iris cell corresponding to a first iris cell location; receiving a second iris image from the iris imager, the second iris image comprising a second iris cell corresponding to a second iris cell location; generating a first composite iris code associated with the eye, the first composite iris code based on the first iris image and based further on the second iris image, the first composite iris code comprising a third iris cell corresponding to the first iris cell location and further comprising a fourth iris cell corresponding to the second iris cell location; comparing the first composite iris code and a first stored iris code; and generating a first match value based on the comparison; characterized in that generating the first composite iris code comprises: applying a first distribution metric to the first iris image to determine the third iris cell, wherein applying the first distribution metric to the first iris image comprises: determining a first iris code based on the first iris image; and determining that a value of the first iris code, the value corresponding to the first iris cell, is a dominant value; and applying a second distribution metric to the second iris image to determine the fourth iris cell, wherein applying the second distribution metric to the second iris image comprises: determining a second iris code based on the second iris image; and determining that a value of the second iris code, the value corresponding to the second iris cell, is a dominant value. applying a first distribution metric to the first iris image to determine the third iris cell, wherein applying the first distribution metric to the first iris image comprises: determining a first iris code based on the first iris image; and determining that a value of the first iris code, the value corresponding to the first iris cell, is a dominant value; and determining a first iris code based on the first iris image; and determining that a value of the first iris code, the value corresponding to the first iris cell, is a dominant value; and applying a second distribution metric to the second iris image to determine the fourth iris cell, wherein applying the second distribution metric to the second iris image comprises: determining a second iris code based on the second iris image; and determining that a value of the second iris code, the value corresponding to the second iris cell, is a dominant value. determining a second iris code based on the second iris image; and determining that a value of the second iris code, the value corresponding to the second iris cell, is a dominant value.