Don’t you just hate it when you have have a blood sample taken, donate blood, or even have an IV installed and the medical personnel have trouble finding a vein? I know I sure do. I generally give blood and have a few blood tests several times a year. Often it’s easy for the medical folks to find a vein; maybe one out of every four or five times it’s difficult and painful. That’s the reason Christie Medical Holdings, Inc. invented VeinViewer. We’ve written about goggle systems that help healthcare workers see veins below a patient’s skin, but this system doesn’t require any special eyewear.
VeinViewer is a mobile vascular imaging system. The two piece system consists of a patch applied to the skin and an external near-infared light source. It lets health care providers see accessible veins on the surface of the skin in high definition with digital full field technology. There are three versions of the VeinViewer; the only difference is the style and size of the light. The smallest is a handheld device while the other two are on roller stands. When a medical professional puts the patch on the area of the intended needle insertion (and that can be anywhere but the eyes) and then turns on the light, the image is projected directly on the skin. You can even see a vein roll or move.
According to Christie Med, VeinViewer has been proven to increase first stick success by up to 100%, decrease medically unnecessary PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) lines by greater than 30%, and increase patient satisfaction by 100%. This technology has apparently had great success with children and babies, according to the company website, but it’s appropriate for anyone who has problems in the past having needles inserted.
