Patient-mounted micro vein enhancer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9788787-B2
Application number	US-201514705000-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2015
Priority date	Jan 10, 2006
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

The present invention is a Miniature Vein Enhancer that includes a Miniature Projection Head. The Miniature Projection Head may be operated in one of three modes, AFM, DBM, and RTM. The Miniature Projection Head of the present invention projects an image of the veins of a patient, which aids the practitioner in pinpointing a vein for an intravenous drip, blood test, and the like. The Miniature projection head may have a cavity for a power source or it may have a power source located in a body portion of the Miniature Vein Enhancer. The Miniature Vein Enhancer may be attached to one of several improved needle protectors, or the Miniature Vein Enhancer may be attached to a body similar to a flashlight for hand held use. The Miniature Vein Enhancer of the present invention may also be attached to a magnifying glass, a flat panel display, and the like.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A portable vein enhancing device, for use in imaging of one or more veins beneath a target surface on a patient for a venipuncture procedure, said portable vein enhancing device comprising:
a vein imager, said vein imager comprising:
a first laser configured to emit a beam of light at a first wavelength;
a scanner configured to transmit said beam of light from said first laser in a pattern onto the target surface;
a photo detector configured to detect said first wavelength of light after being reflected from the target surface as a contrasted vein image; said photodetector further configured to output a signal representing said contrasted image;
a second laser configured to receive said signal from said photodetector and to use said signal to emit a beam of light at a second wavelength, said scanner further configured to transmit said beam of light emitted at said second wavelength from said second laser to project said contrasted image onto the target surface; and
a base member comprising a transparent material and extending downward from said vein imager, said vein imager configured to be mounted to a top portion of said base member and to emit and project said first and second beams of light downward onto the target area within a perimeter of said base member, a bottom surface of said base member comprising a first curved contour on a first side and a second curved contour on a second side opposite said first side, said first and second curved contours of said bottom surface respectively configured to be received upon the arm of the patient to support said vein imager at a position to overlie the target area for imaging and projecting thereon, said bottom surface comprising a third side, said third side having a concave contour configured to provide access to the target area.

2. The portable vein enhancing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
A piece of hook material fixedly secured to said first side of said base; and
A strap having a first end fixedly secured to said second side of said base, said strap comprising a piece of loop material fixedly secured thereto; said strap thereby configured to releasably secure said vein enhancing device to the arm of the patient using said hook and loop materials.

3. The portable vein enhancing device according to claim 2 , wherein said transparent material of said base member comprises a clear plastic.

4. The portable vein enhancing device according to claim 2 , wherein said transparent material of said base member comprises glass.

5. The portable vein enhancing device according to claim 2 , further comprising a control panel configured with means for providing visual enhancements to said projected image.

6. The portable vein enhancing device according to claim 5 , further comprising a combiner configured to combine said beam of light from said first laser and said beam of light from said second laser into a single beam of light; and wherein said scanner is configured to scan said combined first and second wavelengths of laser light onto the target surface.

7. The portable vein enhancing device according to claim 6 , wherein said vein imager comprises a housing configured to receive said first laser, said scanner, said photodetector, said second laser, and said combiner therein.

8. The portable vein enhancing device according to claim 7 , further comprising a compartment in said housing configured to house a battery.

9. The portable vein enhancing device according to claim 8 , further comprising a cap configured to secure and to provide access to said compartment in said housing.

10. The portable vein enhancing device according to claim 9 , wherein said scanner is further configured to scan said first wavelength of laser light from said first laser in a pattern, said pattern being a pattern from the group of patterns consisting of: a raster pattern and a Lissajous pattern.

11. The portable vein enhancing device according to claim 10 , wherein said first laser is configured to emit said beam of light at a wavelength in the range of 700 nm to 1000 nm, and said second laser is configured to emit said beam of light at a visible wavelength.

12. The portable vein enhancing device according to claim 11 , wherein said first laser is configured to emit said beam of light at a wavelength of 740 nm and said second laser is configured to emit said beam of light at a wavelength of 630 nm.

13. The portable vein enhancing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a control panel configured with a means for providing visual enhancement to said projected image.

14. The portable vein enhancing device according to claim 1 , further comprising means for releasably securing said vein enhancing device to the patient.

15. A portable vein enhancing device, for use in imaging of one or more veins beneath a target surface on a patient, said portable vein enhancing device comprising:
means for imaging subcutaneous veins of the target area and for projecting said image onto the target area; and
a base member comprising a transparent material and extending downward from said means for imaging and projecting, said means for imaging and projecting configured to be mounted to a top portion of said base member and to image and project downward from and onto the target area within a perimeter of said base member, a bottom surface of said base member comprising a first curved contour on a first side and a second curved contour on a second side opposite said first side, said first and second curved contours of said bottom surface each respectively configured to be received upon a portion of the patient to support said means for imaging and projecting at a position to overlie the target area for imaging and projecting thereon, said bottom surface comprising a third side, said third side having a concave contour configured to provide access to the target area.

16. The portable vein enhancing device according to claim 15 , further comprising means for releasably seeming said base member to the patient.

Assignees

• Accuvein Inc

Inventors

• Goldman Ron
• Hunt David
• Mock Mark
• Marshall Graham
• Conlon Stephen P
• Roth Robert

Classifications

• A61M5/46

  having means for controlling depth of insertion · CPC title

• A61B5/7475

  User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick · CPC title

• A61B5/743

  Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots · CPC title

• A61B5/489 Primary

  Blood vessels · CPC title

• A61B5/0082

  adapted for particular medical purposes · CPC title