Low-cost subcutaneous vein detection system using ARM9 based single board computer

Abstract

The use of infrared radiation for medical diagnosis is a very new concept in the field of medical technology that promises to deliver high-end results. While a very few devices based on infrared technique have been implemented, there still exists a strong need to develop such medical devices. Therefore, our aim is to develop a low-cost subcutaneous vein detection system, which uses infrared technique to capture vein images, processes (enhances contrast) these images, and displays them on screen. These images can also be projected on the limb. This type of system will provide an easy access to the doctor for efficient drug delivery. A vein imaging system has been implemented successfully using the ARM 9 single board computer as the development platform. A customized webcam is used for capturing vein images. Thereafter, contrast enhancement algorithms based on histogram equalization method have been tested, implemented and the experimental results are presented in this paper.