Near-infrared light enables palm-vein authentication for healthcare and other industries

May 6, 2008, Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel--BioGuard, a provider of biometric solutions for a wide variety of applications, has teamed up with Fujitsu and Computer Sky to offer PalmGuard, an advanced biometric authentication system that uses near-infrared light to verify an individual's identity by recognizing the unique pattern of veins in the palm.

PalmGuard is a combination of Fujitsu's PalmSecure biometric palm vein authentication sensor and a smart card reader/writer device. Both components are integrated into a compact desktop enclosure. If a user positions his or her hand 3 to 6 cm above the sensor's surface, the sensor emits a near-infrared beam to the palm. The light passes through the skin and reaches the veins. The reduced oxygen in the blood flowing back to the heart absorbs the near-infrared light. This absorption will be recorded as a raw image by the sensor's integrated near-infrared wide angular camera.

This raw image is then encrypted inside the sensor, and the encrypted data is transferred to the sensor's template library software, which converts and compresses the encrypted raw image to a template with a size of approx. 1 KB. This final template will then be again encrypted.

PalmGuard delivers strong authentication for a wide range of applications. For hospitals and other healthcare providers, PalmGuard secures access to patient data in compliance with HIPAA requirements. Hospitals need to accurately verify patients ID to protect them from medical identity theft and insurance fraud. This hygienic solution enables authorized personnel to enter restricted areas or log into computer systems in sterile areas without having to remove their gloves.

"The market has recognized the need for biometric authentication solutions, particularly in the financial and healthcare industries," stated Thomas Bengs, Senior Account Manager at Fujitsu. "Through our strategic partnership with BioGuard, we are able to offer a highly accurate, easy to use palm authentication solution at a very attractive price. This solution enables enterprises and organizations to enjoy the benefits of our cutting-edge palm vein scanning technology, together with BioGuard's proven experience in the development and implementation of innovative biometric authentication solutions."