 The VeinViewer works safely on patients of any age, body type or
skin tone. It uses near-infrared light, a digital video camera and
an image processing unit to build an image of a patient's blood
vessels and project a real-time image onto the skin, using a visible
green light.The Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation's medical
technologies fund provided one $25,000 VeinViewer unit for ALMH,
making ALMH one of the first Illinois hospitals, and the only
location outside of the Chicago area, to purchase and implement the
VeinViewer in the care of their patients.
It is used for patients in ALMH's emergency room, lab, radiology,
same day care, med/surg and ICU units.
An estimated 1 billion vein punctures are performed annually in
the U.S. for the purpose of drawing blood, intravenous feeding or
administering medications.
"Skilled clinicians usually find good veins by sight and touch,"
says Judy Bandy, director of nursing. "But finding good veins on
infants and toddlers, not to mention frail and dehydrated patients
of any age, is particularly challenging. Too often these patients
become human pincushions."
ALMH clinical leaders anticipate that the VeinViewer will help
ease patient anxiety associated with previous unsuccessful attempts
to perform vein punctures.
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"The VeinViewer is a tool that helps us know where and how to
position a needle -- on the first try -- for blood draws and IV
insertions," says Gene Quint, a certified registered nurse
anesthetist at ALMH. "It will also tell us if a patient doesn't have
good veins at all so that we'll proceed first with a central line,
rather than trying multiple times to access peripheral veins."
"The VeinViewer is truly having an impact on patient care," adds
Bandy. "Instead of sticking a patient two, three or more times, our
clinicians can accomplish their task in less time with less
discomfort for their patient."
Luminetx Corp. of Memphis, Tenn., developed VeinViewer, the first
and only technology to locate the arrangement of blood vessels below
the skin's surface and project a real-time visual road map of a
patient's vessels. The prototype has been recognized by Time
magazine as "one of the most amazing medical inventions."
Other premier health care institutions investing in this
technology include St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital and Mayo
Clinic.
ALMH is a critical access hospital serving the people of Logan
County and eastern Mason County. Services include a 24-hour
emergency room, diagnostic testing, surgery, general inpatient care,
therapy, rehabilitation and the Family Maternity Suites.
[Text from file received
from Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital]
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