22/12/2016
Star Trek Medical Tech Becomes Reality with Accuvein
NATION | Has another technology like those displayed in Star Trek and other science fiction shows recently become a reality? Perhaps it has with the Accuvein.Few people enjoy injections, and one challenge for medical practitioners is finding a vein in which to insert a needle. Over 2.7 million injections are performed in the United States each day. Without an accurate guideline where to place the needle, healthcare givers may be forced to inject the patient again, increasing the level of pain and discomfort. According to some estimates, one-third of all attempts to find a vein with a needle fail in adults, requiring an additional attempt. The case is even worse for children, for whom 52 percent of first attempts need to be repeated, due to baby fat.
A relatively new device called Accuvein AV 400 eliminates the guesswork, by illuminating veins beneath the skin, clearly showing blood vessels up to four-tenths of an inch beneath the skin. The system uses lasers to show the veins instantly and painlessly. The structure of the viens is displayed on the patient's arm, showing health practitioners exactly where to insert the needle.
Joe Zott, AccuVein's VP of Engineering, said "[T]he AV400... provides dramatically improved vein illumination" over previous technologies.
Accuvein works by using infrared and near-infrared light, shining on the patient. These waves are similar to the heat lamps used in restaurants, except the average wavelength is a little longer. The hand-held device weighs less than 10 ounces, and works at any angle, giving the device even more of a Star Trek feel. The image can even be displayed in negative, allowing the healthcare professionals another view of the veins, for use with patients displaying more challenging anatomies.
According to Ruth Schwarzkopf, chief nursing officer at West Boca Medical Center, "A lot of elderly patients, their veins are hard to find because many don't stay hydrated the way they need to, so this is a good tool to use."
In addition to its use in blood draws and injections, surgeons could also use the device to illuminate veins during surgeries, in order to avoid cutting them. This could reduce bleeding during procedures, meaning patients would need less replacement blood.
This new technology may not be the tricorder of Star Trek, but it does allow doctors to see under the skin of a patient quickly and easily. And, at a time when replicators are entering the real world in the form of 3D printers, maybe we are entering the final frontier of medicine.
