Micro vein enhancer with two lasers and two optical detectors configured for removing surface topology

US12295744B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Accuvein, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Ron Goldman · Cold Spring Harbor, US
• David Hunt · Cincinnati, US
• Mark Mock · Covington, US
• Graham Marshall · Shoreham, US
• Stephen P. Conlon · Cold Spring Harbor, US
• Robert Roth · Cincinnati, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 18, 2023
• Grant date: May 13, 2025
• Expiry date: Apr 18, 2043

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61M5/427
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A vein imager includes: two photodetectors, a first and second lasers configured to respectively emit an infrared beam of light and a human-visible beam of light; a combiner to coaxially align the two beams; and a scanner that scans the coaxial beam in a pattern and onto a skin surface of a patient. The first photodetector receives the infrared wavelength reflected from the patient as a contrasted image of subcutaneous veins, and surface reflection noise due to skin surface topology, and outputs a first signal representing that contrasted image of subcutaneous veins and noise due to skin surface topology. The second photo detector receives the human-visible wavelength reflected from the skin surface and outputs a second signal representing a contrasted image of the topology. The second signal is subtracted from the first signal to remove the noise, permitting projection of a surface-noise-free vein image onto the skin surface.