Medical Image Encryption System Using QR-Based Key Management

  • Unique Paper ID: 201898
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 12
  • PageNo: 7738-7744
  • Abstract:
  • The increasing adoption of digital healthcare systems has significantly improved the efficiency of medical services, but it has also raised serious concerns regarding the security and privacy of sensitive patient data. Medical images such as X-rays, MRI scans, and CT scans contain critical diagnostic information that must be protected from unauthorized access, tampering, and data breaches. Ensuring secure transmission and storage of such data is therefore essential in modern healthcare environments. This project proposes a Medical Image Encryption System that combines a lightweight encryption technique with an efficient key management mechanism. The system utilizes the XOR (Exclusive OR) encryption algorithm to encrypt image data at the byte level using a randomly generated key. The encrypted image is stored securely, while the key is indirectly managed through a QR code that encodes a unique identifier associated with the encrypted image in a database. During the decryption process, the QR code is scanned and decoded using image processing techniques, allowing the system to retrieve the corresponding encryption key and encrypted file from the database. This eliminates the need for manual key memorization and reduces the risk of key mismanagement. The system is developed as a web-based application using the Flask framework, incorporating user authentication, secure file handling, and database integration for efficient data storage and retrieval. The proposed approach offers several advantages, including simplicity, low computational complexity, fast processing, and improved usability. While XOR encryption alone may not provide high-level security against advanced attacks, its combination with QR-based access control and structured database storage enhances the overall reliability of the system. This makes the solution suitable for small-scale healthcare applications, academic projects, and prototype-level implementations.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{201898,
        author = {Ch.Navaneetha and S.Sharanya and P.Anjali and P.Sharanya and P.Deekshasree},
        title = {Medical Image Encryption System Using QR-Based Key Management},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {12},
        pages = {7738-7744},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=201898},
        abstract = {The increasing adoption of digital healthcare systems has significantly improved the efficiency of medical services, but it has also raised serious concerns regarding the security and privacy of sensitive patient data. Medical images such as X-rays, MRI scans, and CT scans contain critical diagnostic information that must be protected from unauthorized access, tampering, and data breaches. Ensuring secure transmission and storage of such data is therefore essential in modern healthcare environments. This project proposes a Medical Image Encryption System that combines a lightweight encryption technique with an efficient key management mechanism. The system utilizes the XOR (Exclusive OR) encryption algorithm to encrypt image data at the byte level using a randomly generated key. The encrypted image is stored securely, while the key is indirectly managed through a QR code that encodes a unique identifier associated with the encrypted image in a database. During the decryption process, the QR code is scanned and decoded using image processing techniques, allowing the system to retrieve the corresponding encryption key and encrypted file from the database. This eliminates the need for manual key memorization and reduces the risk of key mismanagement. The system is developed as a web-based application using the Flask framework, incorporating user authentication, secure file handling, and database integration for efficient data storage and retrieval. The proposed approach offers several advantages, including simplicity, low computational complexity, fast processing, and improved usability. While XOR encryption alone may not provide high-level security against advanced attacks, its combination with QR-based access control and structured database storage enhances the overall reliability of the system. This makes the solution suitable for small-scale healthcare applications, academic projects, and prototype-level implementations.},
        keywords = {Medical Image Encryption, XOR Algorithm, QR Code, Data Security, Healthcare Systems, Image Processing, Flask Web Application, Database Management, Information Security, Secure Data Transmission},
        month = {May},
        }

Cite This Article

Ch.Navaneetha, , & S.Sharanya, , & P.Anjali, , & P.Sharanya, , & P.Deekshasree, (2026). Medical Image Encryption System Using QR-Based Key Management. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 12(12), 7738–7744.

Related Articles