Near-infrared vein finder are

medical devices A medical device is any device intended to be used for medical purposes. Significant potential for hazards are inherent when using a device for medical purposes and thus medical devices must be proved safe and effective with reasonable assura ...

used to try to increase the ability of healthcare providers to see

veins Veins () are blood vessels in the circulatory system of humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are those of the pulmonary and fetal c ...

. They use near-infrared light reflection to create a map of the veins. The received imagery is then either displayed on a screen or projected back onto the patient's skin. They may not increase the success of starting

intravenous Intravenous therapy (abbreviated as IV therapy) is a medical technique that administers fluids, medications and nutrients directly into a person's vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonly used for rehydration or to provide nutr ...

catheter In medicine, a catheter ( ) is a thin tubing (material), tube made from medical grade materials serving a broad range of functions. Catheters are medical devices that can be inserted in the body to treat diseases or perform a surgical procedure. ...

s in children, since the difficulty may arise not in ''locating'' the vessel, but in physical manipulation of the needle.

Nurses Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...

and other healthcare practitioners can easily pass IV

cannula A cannula (; Latin meaning 'little reed'; : cannulae or cannulas) is a tube that can be inserted into the body, often for the delivery or removal of fluid or for the gathering of samples. In simple terms, a cannula can surround the inner or out ...

and other parenteral dosage with the help of a vein finder. Luminetx introduced a device called VeinViewer in 2006, and Accuvein introduced a product called Accuvein in 2008. The machines in the United States cost about $15,000 as of 2015. Christie Medical Holdings introduced the VeinViewer Flex.

References

{{reflist Augmented reality Medical devices Optical imaging