Fujitsu Computer Products of America unveiled an improved version of its PalmSecure biometric authentication device, a version that enables verification of a user's palm in less than two seconds.

Shown Thursday at the CeBIT trade show in Germany, the infrared-activated device matches a user's palm against a database to verify the user's hand veins.

The square-shaped sensor is nearly one inch high by 1.4 inches square. "We firmly believe that palm vein authentication will become the de facto standard for advanced biometric security worldwide," said Joel Hagbert, Fujitsu's vice president, marketing and business development, in a statement.

While an earlier PalmSecure palm reading solution has caught on in about 40 Japanese banks, the technology has been slow to move in the U.S. However, the U.S. Fujitsu unit said it expects the new version to be adopted quickly in healthcare and financial sectors in the U.S.

The device, which will be widely available later this spring, can be embedded into keyboards or connected to laptop computer USB ports.