Vein Finder

Everyone has veins in their bodies. Some veins are deep inside the body and some are superficial. The function of all veins is to carry deoxygenated blood back to the lungs, where it can be oxygenated. The superficial veins are also widely used in medicine for several functions which include:

Starting intravenous lines: IVs are frequently placed in the superficial veins of the arms and hands of patients to deliver fluids, drugs and nutrients in hospitalized patients.

Blood: The superficial veins are also used to withdraw blood for investigations.

Bypass: Rarely, the superficial veins in the arms and legs are used to bypass blockages of blocked vessels elsewhere in the body.

Difficult superficial veins

Superficial veins of the arm are not always visible in some patients, in others they are very small and in others these veins are very fragile. In these individuals, starting an IV can be difficult and many a times, multiple needle sticks are required- which is not fun for the patient.

Difficulty with IV access can also occur in individuals with:

- burns

- bruises

- elderly

- children and babies

- trauma

- dehydration

- thick or fat arms

In a number of patients, a common complaint is that the health care professional who is starting an IV or withdrawing blood, has used the arm as a pin cushion- which is extremely painful and traumatizing. To avoid multiple attempts at starting IVs, an instrument has been developed that can help pin point the site, size and depth of a superficial vein.

Portable Vein Finder

This device is basically a portable hand held Doppler machine. It is a "pen-like" device which can easily traces the vein and helps in localizing veins in difficult patients. The device is run along the arm and the image of the vein is reproduced on a small screen. By accurately pinpointing the vein location, an IV can then be placed under visual guidance.