VeinViewer Takes the Pain Out of IVs

As you may be aware, I have spent a ridiculous amount of time over the last few years either in hospitals or recovering from surgeries or various other injuries, all of which have required multiple IV insertions and blood draws. My poor veins look like I lead a completely different lifestyle than I do, and it’s never pleasant for anyone. See, my veins only look like they’re easy to puncture. They lie. You can clearly see them through my skin, but that’s not where they are. Or they move. Or something. All I know is it’s a rare medical professional indeed who can successfully insert an IV or draw blood without multiple piercings or rooting around like they’re pithing a frog.

All of which means I hope VeinViewer enters mainstream medical use sooner rather than later. Because while I hope I am done with my medical misadventures, I remain a realist, and this thing could save me endless pain and bruising!

VeinViewer is made by Christie Medical Holdings, and comes in four different models. In layman’s terms, what it does is use infrared light to create an image of a patient’s veins, then projects that map onto their skin. No more hunting around in hopes of nailing a vein; the needle should be positioned correctly the first time, enabling needle insertion without all the drama. The only place on the body it can’t be used is the eyes because of its bright LED, but anywhere else is fair game. The age of the patient makes no difference, and (best part for me) it will even show the vein rolling in real time so the needle can be adjusted accordingly!

There is an awful lot of science and clinical information available on this product, and of course it’s not something you would want or need to purchase for yourself. But if you have veins like mine, you’ll probably want to talk to your doctor about maybe getting one. No prices are listed (instead, it says to contact them for a demonstration or quote), but I’m sure it’s not cheap. I don’t care what it costs, to be honest. I’ll happily pay a little extra for my blood tests if it means not having my arms turned into Swiss cheese.

Source: Laughing Squid