EPFL’s Security and Cryptography Laboratory has partnered with startup Global ID to develop an encryption technique for processing biometric data captured via 3D finger vein recognition, a system the researchers say is nearly impossible to forge, according to a report by TechXplore.

Using 3D vein imaging technology developed by the Idiap Research Institute in Martigny, the University of Applied Sciences in Sion (HES-SO Valais-Wallis) and Global ID, the new identification system can process data more safely than current standards.

“Two-dimensional vein recognition technology is already used throughout the world, but the system has its flaws,” said Lambert Sonna Momo, the founder of Global ID. “With 3-D analysis, the risk of counterfeits is essentially non-existent since we all have different veins.

The 3D finger vein scanner identifies individuals when they place their index finger on the sensor.

The portable scanner can potentially be used in a wide range of applications, including financial transaction authentications, border controls, and identifying patients in hospitals.