Patent ID: 8730321

Claim:
A system, for use in vein imaging to ensure the proper alignment of a detected vein pattern and a visible projection of the vein pattern, said system comprising: a light source configured to illuminate a field of view with a first wavelength of infrared light, to create an image contrast formed by the veins of the vein pattern and the surrounding tissue in the field of view undergoing differential amounts of absorption and reflection of said first wavelength of infrared light; an alignment card positioned in the field of view, said alignment card comprising a material formed into a pattern, said material configured to emit a second wavelength of light when exposed to a visible light at a third wavelength, said third wavelength of light comprising a green color; a camera, said camera configured to capture said image contrast of said reflected first wavelength of infrared light from the field of view; a projector, said projector configured to project said captured image contrast onto the field of view using said visible light at said third wavelength; said camera configured to capture said second wavelength of light emitted by said pattern of material, and to capture said visible light at said third wavelength reflected from said pattern of material, said camera further configured to distinguish said wavelength of visible light at said third wavelength reflected by said pattern of material, from said second wavelength of light emitted by said pattern of material; and an image processing system, said image processing system configured to utilize said distinction between a reflection of a projected alignment card pattern at said third wavelength of light captured by said camera, and said second wavelength of emitted light from said alignment card pattern also captured by said camera, to thereby align said projected image with said reflected image contrast at said first wavelength of infrared light.