Near-infrared vein finder explained

Near-infrared vein finder are devices used to try to increase the ability of healthcare providers to see veins. They use near-infrared light reflection to create a map of the veins. The received imagery is then either displayed on a screen or projected back onto the patient's skin.

Unsurprisingly, they may not increase the success of starting intravenous catheters in children,^[1] since the difficulty may arise not in locating the vessel, but in physical manipulation of the needle.

Nurses and other health care practitioner can easily pass IV cannula and other parenteral dosage with the help of a vein finder.

Luminetx introduced a device called VeinViewer in 2006,^[2] and Accuvein introduced a product called Accuvein in 2008.^{[3] [4]} The machines in the United States cost about $15,000 as of 2015.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Jöhr. M. Berger. TM. Venous access in children: state of the art. Current Opinion in Anesthesiology. June 2015. 28. 3. 314–20. 25827277. 10.1097/aco.0000000000000181.
2. News: Reality, only better. The Economist. 6 December 2007.
3. News: Wilemon. Tom. Luminetx Competitor Agrees To License VeinViewer Patent. Memphis Daily News. August 4, 2009.
4. News: Rowe. Aaron. Breakthrough Medical Gadgets: The Future of Healthcare Hardware. Wired. November 2, 2011.
5. Web site: Hawley. Catherine. New technology making it easier to find veins on children in Howard County. ABC2News.com. 12 August 2016. 30 June 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160813152801/http://www.abc2news.com/news/region/howard-county/new-technology-making-it-easier-to-find-veins-on-children-in-howard-county. 13 August 2016.