Subcutaneous Structure Imager

Current subcutaneous vessel imagers use large, multiple, and often separate assemblies with complicated optics to image subcutaneous structures as two-dimensional maps on a wide monitor, or as maps extracted by a computer and focused onto the skin by a video projection. The scattering of infrared light that takes place during this process produces images that are shadowy and distorted. By contrast, Glenn's innovative approach offers a relatively compact and inexpensive alternative to the conventional setup, while also producing clearer images that can be rendered in either two or three dimensions. Glenn's device uses off-the-shelf near-infrared technology that is not affected by melanin content and can also operate in dark environments. In Glenn's novel subcutaneous imager, a camera is configured to generate a video frame. Connected to the camera is a processor that receives the signal for the video frame and adjusts the thresholds for darkness and whiteness. The result is that the vein (or other subcutaneous structure) will show very dark, while other surrounding features (which would register as gray) become closer to white due to the heightened contrast between thresholds. With no interval of complex algorithms required, the image is presented in real-time on a display, yielding immediate results. Glenn's advanced technology also allows the operator to achieve increased depth perception through the synchronization of a pair of imaging devices. Additionally, the novel use of a virtual-reality headset affords a three-dimensional view of the field, thereby improving the visualization of veins. In short, Glenn's researchers have produced an inexpensive, lightweight, high-utility device for locating and identifying subcutaneous structures in patients.