Detecting fingerprint alterations by orientation field and minutiae orientation analysis

The ever wider application of automatic fingerprint recognition systems to law enforcement and immigration control purposes has motivated attempts to avoid identification by fingerprint alterations. The subjects can try to change their fingerprint patterns in many ways, varying from fingertip abrading, burning and cutting up to sophisticated surgical procedures, and therefore a necessity exists for an automatic detection of altered fingerprints. This paper proposes a novel method for fingerprint alteration detection based on analysis of anomalies in minutia orientations and the fingerprint ridge structure caused by scarred regions.