Low-Cost Device for Transcutaneous Visualization of Veins

Vein pathologies affect the adult people in daily activities and have a strong impact on the individual's quality of life. Venous thrombosis is one of the most common conditions of the superficial veins and is characterized by partial or total obstruction of the veins by blood clots. The methods for diagnosing this pathology are mainly non-invasive (e.g., ultrasound), but they can also be invasive (e.g., venography). The paper proposes a device for transcutaneous visualization of veins consists of a commercial modified webcam for IR images visualization connected to PC running the MATLAB environment. The main purpose of the device is to identify thrombi by projecting nonionizing infrared radiation onto the skin. The radiation emitted, at a wavelength of 850 nm, by the IR diodes is detected by the optical sensor in the camera modified with an IR filter, and the images are processed by means of the MATLAB program and transmitted in real time to an external screen. This non-invasive technique can be used as a screening test to detect pathology in its early stages.