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Lasers Provide Path for More Efficient IV Procedures

· Healthcare,Health,Future of Health

Lasers Provide Path for More Efficient IV Procedures

At SSM Health St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo, Wisconsin, a new technology is making intravenous procedures easier for patients and physicians. AccuVein is a device that helps healthcare professionals find the best veins for starting IVs, blood draws and other procedures.

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The new equipment creates a real-time map of vessels that are projected on the surface of patients’ skin with a red laser.

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AccuVein works by using near-infrared imaging to detect veins under skin. Hemoglobin in blood absorbs infrared light, so there is a reduced amount of light reflection from the veins. A detection system uses the change in reflection to determine vein location, which is digitally projected onto the surface of the skin. A red laser makes the vein mapping visible to the clinician.

The Emergency Department Technician Matthew Goethe of SSM Health St. Clare Hospital said that AccuVein makes it easier to find suitable veins on patients. For less than $5,000, The St. Clare Hospital Foundation purchased the AccuVein technology in late summer.

Written by Koray Williams & Edited by Alexander Fleiss