Patent ID: 7708695
Filing Date: 2010-05-04
Classification: A61B,G06K

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: at least one laser, having a laser cavity, for generating a measuring beam arranged to be focused or converged at a point beneath the epidermis of said user's body portion, wherein at least some of the measuring beam radiation reflected by blood flowing in subcutaneous veins at said user's body portion re-enters said laser cavity, measuring means for measuring changes in operation of said laser cavity caused by interference of the reflected measuring beam radiation re-entering said laser cavity and an optical wave in said laser cavity, means for providing an electric signal representative of said changes, said changes containing data relating to blood flow in said subcutaneous veins at said user's body portion; imaging means for creating from said electric signal, an image of one or more veins present in said user's body portion corresponding to said detected blood flow therein; and a signal processor adapted to distinguish between changes in operation of the laser cavity caused by a unidirectional movement of the user's body portion and changes in operation of the laser cavity caused by the blood flow in the subcutaneous veins.