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How To DIY Vein Finder At Home?

Written by Irene on March 15, 2023
A vein finder is a medical device used to locate veins beneath the skin's surface. Vein finders are commonly used by healthcare professionals, including nurses, phlebotomists, and doctors, to improve the accuracy and efficiency of venipuncture.

However, lots of people believe that a vein finder device is essentially just an expansive tool that shines red light on the skin to make the veins stand out. But is that how a vein finder works? And if that is the case, can you make it at home and replicate the same results?
In this blog, we will be taking an in-depth look inside whether a DIY vein finder is good enough or not as well as tell you the easiest method to create a DIY vein finder at home. Let’s get started!

Steps to make Vein finder

Making a vein finder at home can be a complex process that requires a good understanding of electronics and optics. Here are the general steps to make a vein finder:

"How to Make Vein Finder at Home" Supply List:

  • Infrared LED (940nm wavelength)
  • Battery holder
  • Battery (9V)
  • Resistor (220 ohm)
  • Heat shrink tubing
  • Switch
  • Soldering iron
  • Solder wire
  • Electrical tape
  • Plastic enclosure box
  • Small mirror

DIY Vein Finder at Home

8 Step-by-Step DIY Vein Finder

  1. Step 1: Begin by soldering the infrared LED to the 220 ohm resistor.
  2. Step 2: Solder two wires to the battery holder and connect them to the LED/resistor assembly.
  3. Step 3: Cut a small piece of heat shrink tubing and slide it over the LED and resistor, then heat it with a lighter to shrink it down.
  4. Step 4: Solder a switch to one of the wires that connect the battery holder to the LED assembly.
  5. Step 5: Wrap the connections with electrical tape to protect them from damage.
  6. Step 6: Place the LED assembly into the plastic enclosure box and secure it in place with hot glue.
  7. Step 7: Install a small mirror on the inside of the box, facing the LED assembly. This will reflect the infrared light and help you see the veins.
  8. Step 8: Install the battery into the holder and turn on the switch to test the vein finder.
Note: This DIY vein finder is for educational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment.

We not recommended to make a vein finder at home. Vein finders are complex medical devices that use a combination of technologies such as infrared light and image processing algorithms to detect veins under the skin's surface. Building such a device requires specialized knowledge, equipment, and precision to ensure its safety and effectiveness.

What Is A Vein Finder? How Does It Work?

As the names suggest, a vein finder is a medical device that locates or detects hardly visible veins. A nurse or doctor can quickly locate veins that are difficult to see with the naked eye with the use of this device. Vein finders come in mainly two different categories. The better of the two vein finders are generally thought to be an infrared one.

As a useful clinical tool, a vein finder primarily does two very important things. It locates veins no matter how rarely visible, thin, or flat, and projects the identification right on top of the skin accurately. With the projection mapping out the vein placements deep inside the skin, a nurse can easily follow the image and proceed with their venepuncture.

For the patients who have challenging veins and for the rookie nurse who struggles to have venous access, this might be extremely helpful. Thanks to advancements in vein imaging technology, a vein finder is a vital tool that could save both nurses and patients a great deal of time. 

vein viewer device
The market is filled with so many vein finders from all these companies. There are now two different types of vein finders on the market.

• An infrared vein locator
Vein locator using terahertz

Infrared vein finders are regarded to be the better and more efficient of these two. To trace and detect difficult-to-find veins, an infrared vein finder use infrared lights. The machine's radiation passes through the patient's skin to map out the veins. The radiation is completely safe as the rays used here are completely safe as well.

First, the infrared light emitted by the device is absorbed by the blood inside the body. When the projection comes out, veins seem brighter and more transparent than in other parts where there are no veins because veins contain more blood.

In simpler terms, this kind of equipment highlights and pinpoints veins inside a person's body that are difficult to see with the naked eye via transillumination of a light. It takes less than a minute to detect the hardly visible veins inside a patient’s body and then create an accurate projection. When the projection is out, the nurse can proceed with the venepuncture as planned.

DIY or Device: Which is better?

Coming to the most anticipated question of the whole write-up, should you buy a vein finder, or is the DIY one good enough to work?

The answer is, that the DIY vein finder is just a red flashlight made at home hastily, with no scientific backings to it. A vein finder device emits infrared light that penetrates through the skin of the patient. The hemoglobin in the blood then soaks up the infrared light. Once it soaks the light, a red pattern appears on top of the skin. To the naked eye, the veins look much darker, but in the projection, the veins look much brighter and clearer. Many vein finder devices have inverse technology where the veins look darker and the area around the vein looks lighter.

But a vein finder made at home will not provide this kind of service to you. In essence, it is just a regular flashlight. Using a flashlight to take a better look at hardly visible veins is one of the oldest tricks in the world of phlebotomy. Most medical professionals use this along with the tourniquet method. So using a red tape-covered flashlight on your skin will not work as a vein finder does.

Hospital-Grade Infrared Vein Finder


The Lite 2.0 Hospital-Grade Infrared Vein Finder is a powerful medical device that uses infrared technology to help medical professionals locate veins in patients. This device is designed to be used in hospitals, clinics, and other medical settings to make it easier for healthcare professionals to find veins for blood draws, IV insertions, and other procedures.
The Lite 2.0 Vein Finder is a portable device that can be easily carried from room to room and used on patients of all ages. It uses a combination of infrared light and high-definition imaging to create a clear picture of the veins beneath the skin. The device is non-invasive and does not require any contact with the patient's skin, making it a safe and effective option for healthcare professionals.

One of the key features of the Lite 2.0 Vein Finder Trolley is its hospital-grade quality. This device is designed to meet the high standards of medical professionals, with a durable and reliable construction that can withstand the demands of everyday use in a busy medical setting. The device is also easy to clean and disinfect, ensuring that it can be safely used on multiple patients without the risk of cross-contamination.
vein finder device
The Lite 2.0 Vein Finder is an essential tool for medical professionals who need to locate veins quickly and accurately. By providing a clear view of the veins beneath the skin, this device can help to reduce the number of attempts needed for blood draws and IV insertions, which can minimize discomfort for the patient and improve the overall quality of care. 

Conclusion

If you are a medical practitioner, you should probably know the importance of veins in a patient’s body. Veins are the main location for drawing blood samples, performing medical tests, medicine administration, performing blood transfusions, etc. Using a DIY vein finder to work around such a crucial area sounds and is quite dangerous. You may end up hurting the patient deeply while performing a failed venepuncture procedure.

We advisable to purchase a vein finder from a reputable medical device company and consult with a healthcare provider on its proper use and safety precautions.
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