Comparator Systems, a financially struggling Costa Mesa...

Comparator Systems, a financially struggling Costa Mesa manufacturer of fingerprint comparison devices, has received an order for four of its Comparator ID-1 machines from the state prison in Chino. The machines, which sell for just under $10,000 each, are used to compare a freshly made fingerprint with a fingerprint on a master file card. Prisons use the device to verify the identity of prisoners before their release. The company said it expects additional orders this month from other California prison facilities.