Do you start to fret when you have to get blood drawn, and it’s time for the nurse to find your vein? If you’re one of those people who always seems to get poked over and over again, then relief is on the way. The Australian Red Cross is trialling a new portable, handheld device that scans your arm with “near-infrared” technology, and it projects an illuminated map of your veins directly onto your skin. This means that they’re easier for someone to find.
So, how is this possible? Dr. Dan Waller, a senior researcher on the trial, explained to the website CNET, “Veins have a lot of deoxygenated hemoglobin that absorbs near infrared light, and the device is able to use this information to project the image.”
The “world-first” testing is going to be completed on 300 first-time and 600 returning blood donors in Sydney. During it, the Australian Red Cross hopes to ease the anxiety of those going through the routine procedure, as well as improve the overall donation experience so that people will want to return.
Watch the video below to see how this incredible technology works.
Australian Red Cross website
via [Design Taxi and CNET]