Three dimensional imaging of veins

A three-dimensional vein imaging system comprising:

• a first laser configured to emit a beam of light at a first wavelength;
• a second laser configured to emit a beam of light at a second wavelength, being different than said first wavelength;
• a scanner configured to scan said beams of light from said first and second lasers onto a skin surface;
• means for increasing an intensity of said emitted first wavelength of light in a plurality (n) of stepped intensity increases;
• a photodetector responsive to said first wavelength of light, and configured to receive a respective plurality (n) of contrasted vein images formed by differential absorption and reflection of said first wavelength of light from a plurality of incremental depths respectively corresponding to said incremental intensity increases, and further configured to output each said plurality of contrasted vein images as a respective analog signal;
• an analog-to-digital converter configured to receive and to successively convert each said respective analog signal of said plurality of vein images into a corresponding plurality (n) of digital vein images;
• a first memory configured to sequentially receive and store each of said corresponding plurality of digital vein images;
• an image processor configured to successively receive each of said plurality (n) of digital vein images, and to layer veins within each of said plurality of vein images to create a processed vein image, with portions of veins being at a greater depth being removed to visually appear beneath overlying vein portions that are at a shallower depth, to indicate a relative depth of the veins;
• a second memory configured to receive and store said processed vein image;
• a digital-to-analog converter configured to receive and to convert said processed vein image into an analog signal, and to output said analog signal of said processed image to said second laser;
• and
• wherein said scanner and said second laser are further configured to use said output analog signal of said processed image to scan said processed image onto the skin surface with said second wavelength of light.