A few months ago, I wrote a paper on some technological innovations that could impact our way of practicing medicine. One of these, the AccuVein AV300, has recently been officially granted the right to be sold in France and after asking to the french company AVF Perimedical, we generously received the AV300 for a whole week of exhilarating testing.

 The Accuvein AV300 comes with a certain price tag that will limit its availability essentially to the medical world (mostly clinics and hospitals). So, don’t expect to stumble on it in your neighborhood drugstore. This technology is based on the emission of infrared and near-infrared light as laser waves that will allow the direct visualisation of the subcutaneous venous network. Depending on the presence (or absence) of oxygen in the hemoglobin, the red and infrared light will be more or less absorbed and the venous network located just under the skin will appear right in front of you. You just have to direct the light perpendicularly on the skin (with a pretty easy learning curve) et voilà. 

You need also to respect a certain distance between the device and the skin in order to increase the efficacy of the scanning.

 Upon receiving the AccuVein, we observed that the handling was very easy and no special training was needed to manipulate it. There are mainly 3 kinds of scanning modes depending more or less on the quality of the venous network and also on the patient himself (baby, adult, skinny, obese, …). During our test week, we used the AV300 on many patients mostly adults and none of them was very muscular. On the contrary, we had a lot of obese patients, sometimes with skin oedema and very difficult venous access. The first observations were very positive and most of the time, the patients (and some doctors also) believed it was science fiction ! After these first emotions, we analyzed the real medical impact and interest of the device.

 For all patients, the AccuVein helped us to locate easily, precisely and quickly the veins which were both visible and invisible to our eyes. As every member of our staff has a great deal of experience with patients, each of us used first his own fingers to locate the veins and in a second time the AV300. At the end of the week, we had the same conclusions. For the ‘easy’ patients, we don’t need the device because the veins are easy to see or to feel. Do not forget that even if the AV300 can ‘illuminate’ the subcutaneous veins, the ones located deeper in the skin remain invisible to the device and sometimes these one are the good veins to prick !

 But, from time to time, we cannot feel the veins and the patient has to be pricked two, three or even four times (by a different staff member). This is the situation when the AV300 helped us to quickly locate the difficult veins and avoid the often painful trials.

 To conclude, I just would say that after having used the AV300 for a whole week, it becomes  difficult to envision the future without it. This is not a simple toy or something for the geek. It is a real professional medical instrument that merits its place in each medical department.

COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y. – AccuVein announced today that its groundbreaking AV300 vein illumination device has been installed in more than 275 hospitals throughout the United States, less than 12 months after the product began shipping.   Among the prestigious hospitals that have adopted the AV300 for venipuncture applications is Scottsdale Healthcare based in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“Drawing blood or starting an IV on a child can be challenging because their veins may be difficult to locate. We take extra care with our pediatric patients and the AccuVein AV300 devices help us provide another personalized touch to aid in their comfort,” said Emily Shumway, RN, manager of pediatric services at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center.

The AccuVein AV300 helps healthcare professionals locate veins for blood draw, IV infusion and blood donation by projecting a pattern of light on patient’s skin that reveals the position of underlying veins.  This 10-ounce, hand-held device is available with a range of hands-free options so that it can quickly free the practitioner’s hands to perform the venipuncture.

“Patient satisfaction is front and center in the minds of hospital staff.” said AccuVein marketing vice president Vinny Luciano.  “Since venipuncture is the most common invasive medical procedure, it is crucial that hospitals are getting the combined benefit of improved patient care and cost savings by deploying the AV300 for vein visualization.”

In addition to hospitals, AccuVein sells to a wide variety of healthcare facilities such as blood donation centers, EMS facilities and blood labs around the world.  The AV300 is available for sale in more than 45 countries (see up-to-date list on the company website).

About AccuVein
AccuVein LLC is a supplier of innovative, cutting-edge medical devices. The AV300 is a breakthrough product, allowing health care providers to see a map of the position of peripheral veins on the skin’s surface with the goal of helping to improve venipuncture procedures. Built using AccuVein’s expertise in medical device miniaturization and user-intuitive design, the AV300 is the world’s first portable, non-contact vein illumination solution. AccuVein has filed applications for more than a dozen patents on the AV300’s technology.

To see the AccuVein AV300 in action, please visit www.accuvein.com.

New York, NY, June 10, 2010 – AccuVein LLC has been named a “gold winner” for the outstanding product design of its AV300 vein-illumination device at the annual Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEA) presentation ceremony held at the Medical Design & Manufacturing East Conference at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

Gold is the highest award from MDEA, the only awards program focused exclusively on recognizing breakthrough design work for medical products.  A comprehensive review was performed by an impartial, multidisciplinary panel of third-party jurors with expertise in biomedical engineering, human factors, industrial design, medicine, and diagnostics.

The AccuVein AV300 helps healthcare professionals locate veins for blood draw, IV infusion and blood donation by projecting a pattern of light on patient’s skin that reveals the position of underlying veins.  This 10-ounce, hand-held device is available with a range of hands-free options so that it can quickly free the practitioner’s hands to perform the venipuncture.

“Hospitals are adopting vein visualization as the standard-of-care for venipuncture as a tool to reduce error, reduce cost and increase patient satisfaction.” said AccuVein marketing vice president Vinny Luciano.  “Winning this top prize validates their selection of the AV300 as the vein visualization tool of choice.”

About AccuVein

AccuVein LLC is a supplier of innovative, cutting-edge medical devices. The AV300 is a breakthrough product, allowing health care providers to see a map of the position of peripheral veins on the skin’s surface with the goal of helping to improve venipuncture procedures. Built using AccuVein’s expertise in medical device miniaturization and user-intuitive design, the AV300 is the world’s first portable, non-contact vein illumination solution. AccuVein has filed applications for more than a dozen patents on the AV300’s technology.

For more information on AccuVein’s AV300, please visit www.accuvein.com

The AccuVein AV300 helps healthcare professionals locate veins for blood draw, IV infusion and blood donation by projecting a pattern of light on patient’s skin that reveals the position of underlying veins.  This 10-ounce, hand-held device is available with a range of hands-free options so that it can quickly free the practitioner’s hands to perform the venipuncture.

“India is a country of over 1 billion people where emphasis on quality healthcare continues to rise,” pointed out AccuVein VP of Marketing Vinny Luciano. “We are excited to have Morepen on board.  They have an established track record in providing high-quality medical products to hospitals and other healthcare providers in India, and the AV300 should help these facilities improve patient care and reduce costs.”

About AccuVein

AccuVein LLC is an award-winning supplier of innovative, cutting-edge medical devices. The AV300 is a breakthrough product, allowing health care providers to see a map of the position of peripheral veins on the skin’s surface with the goal of helping to improve venipuncture procedures. Built using AccuVein’s expertise in medical device miniaturization and user-intuitive design, the AV300 is the world’s first portable, non-contact vein illumination solution. AccuVein has filed applications for more than a dozen patents on the AV300’s technology.  It is the recipient of the 2010 Medical Design Excellence Award and its AV300 was named a best new product for pediatricians by Contemporary Pediatrics magazine. 

For more information on AccuVein’s AV300, please visit www.accuvein.com

About Medipath Division of Morepen Laboratories Limited

Recognizing the requirement of innovative and technologically advanced diagnostic products in India, Morepen created “Medipath” 8 years ago; an entity for marketing of medical devices and clinical diagnostic products.  Medipath focuses on exploring and developing the business with the core strategy of consistently offering unique and high end technologies to its customers, backed-up by an impeccable service and customer support system. In its past several years of operation, this division has created a niche for itself, in the medical diagnostic and equipment industry, by introducing many innovative and revolutionary clinical; home diagnostics and technology driven products in India. The product range in the Diagnostic segment includes Pregnancy test, Hepatitis test, HIV Test, Urine strips, Coagulation analysers and reagents, ELISA instruments and infectious marker kits, and a rapid Malaria detection kit “Care Start” (manufactured by Access Bio Inc, USA).

The Home Health range includes BP monitors (of various types), Blood Glucose Monitors, Nebulisers, Thermometers Weighing scales etc.

In line with their vision of introducing newer technologies and niche products in India, they secured the Exclusive Distribution rights for AccuVein AV300.

The AccuVein AV300 helps healthcare professionals locate veins for blood draw, IV infusion and blood donation by projecting a pattern of light on patient’s skin that reveals the position of underlying veins.  This 10-ounce, hand-held device is available with a range of hands-free options so that it can quickly free the practitioner’s hands to perform the venipuncture.

The MDEA competition (www.MDEAwards.com) is the only award focused exclusively on recognizing contributions and advances in the design of medical products.   Entries are evaluated on the basis of their design and engineering features, user-related functions that improve healthcare delivery and change traditional medical attitudes or practices, features that provide enhanced benefits to the patient, and the ability of the product development team to overcome design and engineering challenges so that the product meets its clinical objectives.

A comprehensive review of the entries was performed by an impartial, multidisciplinary panel of third-party jurors with expertise in biomedical engineering, human factors, industrial design, medicine and diagnostics.

“The response of our customers to the AV300 has been nothing short of remarkable.  It’s at work in over 200 hospitals in the U.S. alone and is now available in 45 countries around the world.” noted AccuVein VP of Marketing Vinny Luciano. “Having the AV300 recognized as “excellent” by our peers in the medical technology industry is a proud moment for AccuVein.”

About AccuVein

AccuVein LLC is a supplier of innovative, cutting-edge medical devices. The AV300 is a breakthrough product, allowing health care providers to see a map of the position of peripheral veins on the skin’s surface with the goal of helping to improve venipuncture procedures. Built using AccuVein’s expertise in medical device miniaturization and user-intuitive design, the AV300 is the world’s first portable, non-contact vein illumination solution. AccuVein has filed applications for more than a dozen patents on the AV300’s technology.

To see the AccuVein AV300 in action, please visit www.accuvein.com.

Written by Dr. Andrew J. Schuman, MD, the article selected a variety of interesting new products for pediatric professionals and included targeted products such as the AV300, as well as products within broader technology areas such as iPhone medical applications and an online patient screening service.

In citing the AV300, Dr. Schuman noted that in the past he has reviewed devices that help facilitate phlebotomy or IV insertion in children. He noted that many other vein-finder devices, including transilluminators, needed to be in contact with the patient’s skin, “making for an awkward process.”

“Not so with the AccuVein AV300 Vein Viewing System,” Dr. Schuman continued, noting that the AV300 “can be used as a handheld device or in conjunction with several hands-free accessories that include a rollable stand or a flexible clamp that can secure the device to a phlebotomy station. When the AV300 is held seven inches above the skin, infrared laser light shows the position of superficial veins with remarkable clarity.”

The Contemporary Pediatrics article goes on to note that the AV300 works in adults a well as children and according to Dr. Schuman, is “equally effective when used on dark-skinned persons and on obese patients.”

Contemporary Pediatrics is a leading publication in the pediatric healthcare field. It offers pediatric health providers continuing education on the prevention, diagnosis and management of illness and behavior problems in infants, children and adolescents through review articles that address practical clinical concerns. Dr. Schuman is an adjunct assistant professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth Medical School in Lebanon, N.H., and a contributing editor to Contemporary Pediatrics.

About AccuVein

AccuVein applies advanced technologies to important health care challenges. The innovative AV300 allows practitioners to see a map of the position of peripheral veins on the patient’s skin, to help caregivers locate veins while they perform the most common invasive medical procedure – venipuncture. Built using AccuVein’s expertise in medical device miniaturization and user-intuitive design, the AV300 is the world’s first portable, non-contact vein illumination solution. With more than a dozen patents filed worldwide, AccuVein demonstrates an ongoing commitment to invest in improving patient care and patient satisfaction.

For more information on the AccuVein AV300, please visit www.accuvein.com.

Search in vein no more

“In the past, I’ve reviewed devices that help facilitate phlebotomy or IV insertion in children, and I’m pleased to report that a new device to help with these procedures is now available from AccuVein LLC. Previously, vein-finder devices, including transilluminators, needed to be in contact with the patient’s skin, making for an awkward process. Not so with the new AccuVein AV300 Vein Viewing System, which can be used as a handheld device or in conjunction with with several hands-free accessories that include a rollable stand of a flexible clamp that can secure the device to a phlebotomy station. When the AV300 is held 7 inches above the skin, infrared laser light shows the position of superficial veins with remarkable clarity. The device works well in children as well as adults and is equally effective when used on dark-skinned persons and on obese patients. The portable device uses a rechargeable battery that can provide more than 2 hours of continuous use, usually sufficient for as many as 360 IV insertions or blood draws. The device is expensive, priced at $4,500, but would be a welcome addition to any clinic, pediatric unit, or neonatal or pediatric ICU.”

To see the original article:
http://digital.modernmedicine.com/nxtbooks/advanstar/cntped_200912/#/70

We are frequently asked by healthcare professionals about how the AV3000 works on various patient types. While people are all different below is a sample of how the device works on a range of patients.

When paramedic students are taught how to achieve IV access, they’re told to look for a large vein fairly close to the surface of the skin. Seasoned paramedics have learned to “look” with their finger tips, knowing that many patients do not have easily visible large veins. The AccuVein AV300 eliminates the need for either of these techniques. The easy-to-use handheld device operates on the principle that hemoglobin has a different infrared signature than the surrounding tissues. This difference is sensed, illuminating the positions of the veins on the skin’s surface directly above the veins, allowing you to “see” the vasculature pattern in real time on the arm. Now you’ll know if the vein is straight or curves sharply just under the skin and make appropriate decisions on how to best accomplish IV insertion.

VITALS:
Size: 8″
Weight: 10 oz.
Power: Rechargeable
Cost: $4,500
Rental cost: From $99/month
816/997-9400
www.accuvein.com

Posted with permission of www.jems.com. Copyright Elsevier 2009

In my 29 years of service as a Paramedic, this is one of the few times that I have used a tool that improves patient outcomes, reduces the risk of infection, and provides cost savings. The AV300 AccuVein is a true lifesaver.”

Anesthesiology Dept at a Research Hospital

It is a win-win for everybody!”

Everybody loves it!”

ER Manager of a Florida Hospital

We use it every chance we get!”

Utah Hospital Nurse

I am sold, I love this thing.”

I think it is going to change the way we do venipunctures.”

Children’s Research Hospital – Anesthesia Department

Where is it – we need it!”

Other departments are jealous that we have the AV300.”

Medical Director of Vein Clinic

The patient was amazed and, quite frankly, so was I.”