2012 International Conference on Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology

Research of Hand Vein Patterns Recognition for Biometric Identification

Xiangping Zeng

Weidong Jin

1) Center of Electronic Lab

Chengdu University of Information Technology
Chengdu, 610225, China
2) School of Information Science & Technology
Southwest Jiaotong University
Chengdu, 610031, China
zxping163@163.com

School of Electrical Engineering

Southwest Jiaotong University
Chengdu, 610031, China

AbstractTraditional identification technology such as

fingerprint identification has the flaw of easy to copy, forge,
imitate, and so on, this restricts its application and the
development foreground. But vein recognition technology can
overcome these deficiencies. In this paper, we introduce the
principles and workflows of vein recognition. At the same time,
algorithms of vein recognition were researched. This paper
focuses on the vein image preprocessing and relative
algorithms. And a series of simulation results of vein image
processing were given in the paper.

common to see they are taken from the vein recognition in

hands. And there are three kinds of them that are mainly
used: the palm vein recognition, hand vein recognition and
finger vein recognition.
B. Current situation of the vein recognition
In foreign countries, because of the earlier development
of the vein recognition technology and product, Japan and
South Korea are now leading the way. In 1997, the Hitachi
Central Research Institute of Japan began the research to the
finger vein authentication technology, and now it has a
number of patents, and in 2003, Hitachi began selling
products like this. However, the TechSphere of Korea was
the first one to manufacture the hand vein authentication
products. NEXTERN of Korea has developed four sets of
hand vein recognition products: BK100, BK200, BK300, and
BK500 since 1998, and all of them have been put into use,
which are very mature products in a leading position of the
world. And the vein recognition technology on the palms in
Japan's Fujitsu is in the forefront of the world. This company
launched a new palm vein authentication device called
PalmSecure, and the device can be used to notebook
computers, personal storage facilities, photocopiers, and
other precision office equipment by the supply of power
devices such as USB, IEEE1394. It has already made tens of
thousands banks, universities, hospitals and other businesses
use the security system based on this technology. In 2009,
Japan's Sony Corporation launched an ultra-thin finger vein
recognition development named Mofiria. However, different
from the former vein image using infrared light, Singapore's
NTU use the red-hot image to extract the vein of the back of
the hand, and they claimed that FAR and FRR are 0.0%, but
the environmental temperature and humidity have a great
influence on its recognition rate.
However, vein recognition technology is still at an
early stage of development in our country. Taiwan's National
Central University, Tsinghua University, Peking University,
Harbin Engineering University, Jilin University, Chongqing
Institute of Technology, China Civil Aviation University and
other colleges and universities, as well as the First Research
Institute of the Ministry of Public Security, have researched
about vein recognition algorithm and the vein image
acquisition device. Chinese enterprises involved in the study
of the vein recognition system include Keanxin Company,
Zhongdianshixun Company and Hailande Company of
Shenzhen,
Daokenqi
Company
of
Shanghai,

Keywords- biometric authentication; hand vein recognition;

vein recognition algorithm; image preprocessing; feature
extraction; Niblack method

I.

INTRODUCTION

With the advent of information age, the security of

information gets more and more attentions, especially for the
security requirements of identification which are becoming
increasingly rigorous. The traditional identification has some
shortcomings that can not overcome. However, the
authentication based on the biometric authentication
technology has some advantages such as not easily forgotten
or lost, security performance, difficult to counterfeit or
stolen, available anytime and anywhere. So it has more
security, reliability and validity .Biometric technology that
commonly includes fingerprint recognition, face recognition,
iris recognition, retina recognition, DNA recognition,
signature recognition, voice recognition, hand shape
recognition, palmprint recognition, hand vein recognition
and so on. Among them, hand vein recognition has the most
potential for development of the biometric identification
technology.
II.

SUMMARY OF VEIN RECOGNITION

A. Basic principles of the vein recognition

The vein of the human body has all the features of the
biological characteristics which are universal and unique.
And the vein recognition is using the characteristics of
deoxygenated hemoglobin in venous blood absorbing nearinfrared or human characteristics of the far infrared radiation,
then through a series of processing to extract the
characteristics, and finally match to pre-registration feature
data of the database to determine the personal identity
.Considered from the convenience of acquisition, it is very
978-0-7695-4706-0/12 $26.00 2012 IEEE
DOI 10.1109/iCBEB.2012.338

884

Zhonghanghaotian Company of Beijing, and Hongda

Company of Changchun. Among them, Keanxin Company of
Shenzhen launched the finger vein biometric authentication
system with independent intellectual property, which is a
world leader on the level of this technology.
III.

Feature
Database

Vein Image
Acquisition

RESEARCH CONTENT OF VEIN RECOGNITION

Feature
Extraction

Feature
Match

Decision

Figure 1. Diagram of vein recognition system

Research content of vein recognition is mainly on two

aspects: the vein recognition system and the study of vein
recognition algorithm.
In the development of the vein recognition system, the
optical part of the vein recognition acquisition system is
presented and discussed by Ji. [1].And in order to eliminate
the influence of temperature and backlight, a filter is added
in the system. Calculate the magnification, angle of vision,
focal length and resolution of the optical system, and gives
relevant data of the optical system according to the CMOS
sensor parameters and the optical characteristics parameters
of the imaging lens. Yang. developed a device, which can
automatically adjust the acquisition parameters and
accurately obtain the finger vein image [2]. Huang. put
forward a finger vein image acquisition device based on
CMOS by using the I2C bus to control the parameters and
brightness of infrared light source of the CMOS [3]. And
Wang. put forward a method of system design of vein
recognition based on DSP embedded development platform
[4,5].
Hand vein recognition algorithms include the research of
vein enhancement, vein segmentation, vein match and vein
classification algorithm. Li et al presented a hand vein
recognition algorithm based on Bandelet transformation [6];
Liu et al presented a hand vein recognition algorithm based
on moment invariants and Support Vector Machine (SVM)
[7,8]; A hand vein redognition algorithm based on local scale
invariant feature transform (SIFT) was presented by Wang et
al, which is characterized by translation and rotation
invariance [9].Kang et al presented a method based on angle
matrix of feature point [10]. Based on dynamic threshold
Niblack algorithm, Wu el al presented a palm vein
recognition method in combination of four-part-average
algorithm and dynamic threshold Niblack algorithm
[11].Zhou et al presented an algorithm based on searching
the valley-shaped regions [12]. Based on OTSU algorithm, a
new vein segmentation algorithm based on optimal regional
OTSU was presented in paper [13].
IV.

Vein Image
Preprocessing

A. Vein image preprocessing

The preprocessing is actually the image enhancement
process including normalization of the vein image size and
gray, threshold processing, filtering algorithm to remove
noise and refine the vein image. The preprocessing results of
the finger vein image are shown below.

Figure 2. Preprocessing of finger vein image: (a) original image; (b)

normalization image; (c) binary image; (d) filtering image; and (e) thinning
image

1) Normalization of the vein image size and gray:

Normalization of the vein image size can use nearest
neighbour, bilinear interperlation and cubic spline
interpolation analysis method. Normalization of the vein
image gray can use the following equation

V ( I (i , j ) M ) 2
, I (i , j ) > M
M 0 + 0
V

N (i, j ) =
V0 ( I (i, j ) M ) 2

, I (i , j ) M
M 0
V

(1)

In the above equation, I (i, j ), M ,V are gray, mean and

variance of the vein image before normalization, and
N (i, j ), M 0 , V0 , I (i, j ), M ,V are gray, mean and variance of
the vein image after normalization. After normalization, the
image is shown in Fig.2 (b).
2) Image segmentation: Niblack method is a simple and
effective local dynamic threshold algorithm. The principle of
the algorithm is as follow. For every pixel f ( x, y ) , we can
calculate its mean m( x, y ) and variance s( x, y ) in each r*r
neighborhood.

THE HAND VEIN RECOGNITION SYSTEM

Diagram of vein recognition system is shown in Figure 1.

First, vein acquisition device collects vein infrared image,
after image preprocessing, we will get a clear refinement
single pixel vein image. Then, extract the features of the
single pixel vein image. Finally, match the features of the
vein image with the sample database, and by matching
algorithm we will make the identification come true.

x+

1 2
m( x, y ) = 2
r i = x r

x+

1 2
s ( x, y ) = 2
r i= x r

y+

r
2

j= y

y+

r
2

r
j= y
2
2

885

f (i , j )

(2)

f 2 (i, j )

(3)

r
2

secure and reliable environment because of the finger vein

authentication system integrated on the computer.

Then, we get its local dynamic threshold T ( x, y ) of each

pixel by the following formula:

T ( x, y ) = m( x, y) + k s( x, y)

C. The application of network security

As the network application become increasingly
common, more and more business behaviors is online,
including online banking, online trading, e-commerce. How
to identify a person accurately and protect the security of
information and transactions is a problem must be settled in
the age of information technology. And using vein
recognition technology can greatly improve the security of
online transactions.

(4)

In the above equation, k is the correction factor.

Finally, get the binary image by the following formula:

f ( x, y ) = 255

f ( x, y ) = 0

f ( x, y ) > T ( x, y )
f ( x , y ) T ( x, y )

(5)

After image segmentation, the binary image is shown in

Fig.2 (c).
3) De-noising and thinning: General, mathematical
morphology and median filtering method can be used to
remove the noise of image. The common thinning methods
include Hilditch method, Rosenfeld method, etc. After denoising and thinning, the vein image becomes the single
pixel vein image. Fig.2 (d) and Fig.2 (e) show the filtering
image and thinning image.

D. The application of the financial system

With the increasing development of internet business in
the bank , various forms of financial fraud activities have
also appeared. Password of bank card and even people's own
signature are in danger of being stolen and forged. But now,
ATM machine on the many banks in Japan are equipped
with vein recognition system for authentication.
VI.

B. The feature extraction and matching

There are many feature extraction and matching
algorithms for pattern recognition, some of them are fit for
vein recognition, such as K-L transformation method,
structure feature of geometry method, immovability moment
feature method. Our next task is to study out more vein
recognition algorithm.
V.

CONCLUSION

In the last years, as the second-generation biometric

identification technology, vein recognition has attracted
more and more research interest. It has high anticounterfeiting by using individual biometric intrinsic
characteristics to verify identity. In this paper, basic
principles, current situation and research content of vein
recognition were introduced at first. Then, working process
of the hand vein recognition system was proposed. We
should focus on the research of vein recognition algorithms
according to the existing characteristics of vein in the work
in future, so that this new identification technology can be
use in every walk of life widely.

APPLICATION OF VEIN RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY

A. Application of the access control system

Personal authentication of the traditional access control
systems are mainly through ways like keys, magnetic cards,
passwords and other means of identification, but there are
shortcomings such as easily lost and forgotten, or even
counterfeiting, forgery, theft, copying and other weaknesses.
It is really of poor safe function .However, vein recognition
makes control system more safe and reliable because of its
advantages like uniqueness, higher safety and accuracy ,
non-contact and vivo detection .For instance, part of the
venues for the Beijing Olympic Games have installed
advanced vein recognition system to guard. In addition, the
finger vein system can also record the access log to make it
convenient for the management to master the movement of
persons. And in particular, the application is largely needed
in the company's performance appraisal system, library, and
hospital records system.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work was partially Supported by the National
Science Foundation of PR China (Grant: 61071183,
60971103 and 61134002) and the Sichuan Provincial Youth
Science and Technology Fund (Grant: 2012JQ0046).
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Problems about the security of computer are paid more
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take place. The main method to protect computer is relying
on the traditional password input by keyboard. It is of poor
security. A business notebook computer with finger vein
authentication was put out in Japan. It will bring a more

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[5]

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