History in the Making
A medical milestone has been achieved in Australia, more specifically in the field of vein health. A Sydney based hospital is one of the first in Australia to pioneer a machine that lets physicians see the veins mapped out on the surface of the skin. The VeinViewer uses infra-red images on the skin of underlying veins. According to the Sun-Herald, "The light shows up the hemoglobin in red blood cells and the image is captured by video camera. The images are processed by a computer and projected onto the patients skin using a green light."
The benefits of such a machine are endless; patients may be able to detect venous disease at earlier stages and prevent the discomfort, gnarled and unattractive veins. This is because the machine allows doctors to see veins six millimeters below the skins surface. This screening treatment will be so beneficial for people to prevent spider and varicose veins.
