Making blood tests less painful and traumatic

Friday, 28 March 2014 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Hospitals worldwide are making blood tests less painful and traumatic with the adoption of a vein illumination device. Healthcare practitioners are finding the new device very helpful in locating superficial veins for blood draws and IVs. The device is lightweight and with it the veins are easy to see.

AccuVein Inc. is a global leader in vein illumination. Its breakthrough product, the AV300, the world’s only hand-held, non-contact vein illumination device, allows health care professionals to see a map of peripheral veins on the skin’s surface with the goal of improving vascular access procedures including blood draw, IV infusion and blood donation. The AV300 is the world’s only portable, non-contact vein illumination solution. It is built on AccuVein’s proprietary technology as embodied in its growing patent portfolio that covers a broad range of imaging and medical diagnostic technologies. The AV300 is in use at more than 2,000 hospitals and available for sale in 100 countries worldwide. An AccuVein’s study found that 93% of patients would give a hospital a higher satisfaction score if vein illumination were utilised. Furthermore, 94% of patients expressed the desire to have vein illumination used each time they were stuck, suggesting a desire

to have a facility-wide adoption of the technology. In fact, patients felt so strongly about the technology that they said they would be willing to drive an extra 14 miles to go to a hospital that used a vein illumination device such as the AV300. In addition, patients expressed positive feelings about the caregivers using vein illumination. Specifically, 98% of patients said they would appreciate the extra effort of a medical care provider who used vein illumination, a strong indication that the use of a vein illumination device could facilitate a more positive nurse/patient interaction. Venipuncture is the most common invasive medical procedure worldwide. Studies show that up to one third of the attempts to access a vein fail the first time, creating unnecessary patient discomfort as well as additional costs. Patients overwhelmingly endorse vein illumination because it improves caregivers’ ability to access veins. It does this by projecting a safe pattern of light on a patient’s skin that reveals the position of underlying veins.