Patent ID: 8295904

Claim:
A handheld vein-image-enhancing device capable of projecting in-focus vein images on a surface of a target to permit mobile imaging of veins, said device comprising: a first laser configured to selectively transmit light at a first wavelength; a scanner configured to scan said first wavelength onto said target surface in successive frames comprising complete raster patterns; a photo detector configured to receive a reflection of said first wavelength of light from said target, said reflection of said first wavelength of light creating a contrasted image by at least a selective portion of said scanned said first wavelength of light being reflected from said target, and by a remaining portion of said scanned said first wavelength of light being absorbed by subcutaneous veins of said target; said photo detector further configured to output an analog signal representing said contrasted image for each of said successive frames; an analog-to-digital converter configured to receive and convert said analog signal from said photo detector and to output a digital signal therefrom as a digital image a first image memory configured to receive and store said digital image; a second image memory configured to receive and store said digital image from said first image memory at a rate equal to a frame rate of the scanner; a digital-to-analog converter configured to receive and convert said digital image from said second image memory and to output a converted analog signal therefrom; a second laser configured to receive said converted analog signal and using said converted analog signal to selectively project visible light at a second wavelength onto said target surface; and wherein a first digital image frame is moved from said first image memory into said second image memory and a second complete raster frame of said successive frames is received by said photo detector, converted by said analog-to-digital converter, and stored in said first image memory as a digital image frame.