US 12,220,255 B2
Vessel location assistance device
James B. Satovsky, Boca Raton, FL (US); Farhad Bybordi, Delray Beach, FL (US); and Steven M. Lurcott, Deerfield Beach, FL (US)
Assigned to NOVOTEC LLC
Filed by NOVOTEC LLC, Boca Raton, FL (US)
Filed on Jun. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/349,804.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/058,553, filed on Jul. 30, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0031232 A1, Feb. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 5/00 (2006.01); G01N 21/47 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/489 (2013.01) [A61B 5/0062 (2013.01); A61B 5/0075 (2013.01); G01N 21/4738 (2013.01); G01N 2021/4709 (2013.01)] 29 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vessel location assistance device comprising:
a housing having a proximal portion and a distal portion, said proximal portion and said distal portion spaced apart along a centerline of said housing, said housing having a top portion and a bottom portion;
an aperture positioned in said distal portion along said centerline, said aperture penetrating through said top portion and said bottom portion of said housing;
at least one light associated with said housing;
three infrared light emitters adapted to emit infrared light from said bottom portion of said housing to a patient and three infrared light receivers adapted to receive backscattered infrared light reflected from the patient;
said three infrared light emitters and said three infrared light receivers arranged in pairs along equally spaced rows, including a middle row and two remaining rows, each equally spaced row extending perpendicular to said centerline, wherein said middle row of said three rows is aligned with said aperture;
said three emitters and three receivers arranged in two columns extending along axes equally spaced and parallel to said centerline;
wherein each pair of said three infrared light emitters and three infrared light receivers is serially and repeatedly energized to emit infrared light and detect backscattered infrared light intensity from said patient when said housing is positioned on a patient's skin, each of said detection intensities being converted to a voltage;
wherein, when a voltage of said middle row is less than a voltage of each of said two remaining rows said at least one light illuminates to provide an indication of the presence of a patient's blood vessel nearest said middle row of said three rows;
the device further comprising a central processing unit, said central processing unit being programmable to adjust a divergence level between said voltage of said middle row and said voltage of each of the two remaining rows prior to said one light illuminating to indicate the presence of a patient's blood vessel nearest said middle row of said three rows.