Was at a hospital yesterday watching a nurse trying to place an IV line in my wife. My wife was slightly dehydrated which was making it harder for the nurse for find a good vein. After some searching, the nurse whipped out a very interesting device. It output a square of red light that when pointed at skin made the veins visible!
Really cool light that would be great for parties. Though, I couldn't help but wonder if eye protection should be used with it. Wonder if it would help find wounds on pets and such. Maybe ticks?
I did a small bit of googling and they are not budget lights (at least for normal people). Here is one I saw. A little googling shows some folks have tried to DIY these types of lights, but so far I haven't seen anything performing like what we saw. I'm pretty sure it used LED's. It was a handheld plastic device and did not appear to have any active cooling. So I'm thinking it's a fairly low wattage situation. It a was battery powered. Here are a couple pics (links to sources in pics) to give an idea what they do. The first one being red like what we saw.
I want to make one of these lights. Not sure I will ever have any real use for it. But, do we really need a real utilitarian reason to make a light here? I'll compile a list of the key ingredients here if I or someone here figures it out. Maybe someone here already knows how to make one and will post a build thread for us interested in making one.
I wonder how it works. Seems expensive for just an LED light no matter the wavelength.
The link you listed says “near infrared”. Maybe the device has an infrared sensor to detect the veins, and then uses an internal computer to translate that to a visual image which it then projects into the square. If that is how it works: computer processing with a projected display, then unfortunately this is not the kind of thing you’ll be able to build yourself.
^
I think you identified the device RobertB. The nurse didn’t seem to want to let the device out of her control, but it looked very much, if not exactly, like the device you named.
Hmmm, that does seem like a distinct possibility. You’re right, that would be out of this modder’s league.
It’s definitely in the price range of IR cameras. And given that they show the veins in different colors, some with the veins darker, some with the veins lighter… I think Firelight2 nailed it. Otherwise their output would all look the same.
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Yeah, it does look that way. Didn’t occur to me at the time, but I see that now. That would explain why what I have seen DIY’d online doesn’t look anything like what I saw at the hospital.
Yes, that seems the only logical, plausible explanation. There’s no way skin is going to reflect visible light differently based on vein placement or even temperature.
Of course you could simply use one of DB Customs high lumen lights and enlighten your hand from behind. If it doesn’t get vaporized you should see everything in between.
She’s doing much better and recovering as good as could possibly be expected. Thanks for asking. The whole team at the hospital seemed first rate and I am so grateful.
Now this screams for an app.
I have no Iphone of Iwatch
But the heartbeat sensor or screen sensing many levels of pressure must allow of a 3d scan of what happens under the skin. Then via augmented reality show it to users.
Now that would be an awesome app.
What memories I have of those X-ray spec glasses I lusted for as a kid. But who had a dollar much less the 25cents for shipping??? None of my buds that’s for sure. Ahhhhh……the late 50’s thru early 60”s. :money_mouth_face:
:money_mouth_face: