An imaging system illuminates body tissue with infrared light to enhance visibility of subcutaneous blood vessels, and generates a video image of the body tissue and the subcutaneous blood vessels based on reflected infrared light. The system includes an infrared light source for generating the infrared light and a structure for diffusing the infrared light. The diffusing structure includes one or more layers of diffusing material for diffusing the light. The system further includes a video imaging device for receiving the infrared light reflected from the body tissue and for generating a video image of the body tissue based on the reflected infrared light.