A portable, hand-held, electrically-powered device designed to help locate peripheral veins beneath the skin (subcutaneous) using infrared (IR) laser-generated light. It is intended to illuminate the position of veins on the skin surface directly above the veins to assist a healthcare professional in finding a vein of the right size and position for venipuncture. It may also be known as an IR vein finder, viewer or transilluminator, and may include a small interface screen to cycle through previously stored display settings to help optimize vein display for the patient undergoing examination/treatment.