Devices Based on Augmented Reality Help Visualize the Venous System. Will They Find a Place in Routine Practice?

Augmented Reality in Medicine

Augmented reality is the term for inserting a digital object into the real environment. The virtual object placed in the real world can be observed through an electronic device, most commonly a smartphone or tablet in practice.

This technological innovation has been commonly available for several years and is used in numerous sectors; examples include computer games, education, and travel. However, the principle of augmented reality is also gradually being implemented into healthcare − besides educational projects (like displaying the anatomy of internal organs onto the body surface), devices for real clinical practice are being developed, including a device for locating superficial veins.

The Device Principle

Devices for locating superficial veins operate on a relatively simple principle. They emit light radiation in a spectrum close to infrared, which is absorbed by hemoglobin and reflected by other tissues. The resulting image is projected in real-time directly onto the patient's skin. In the segment displayed by the device, the course of the veins, their bifurcation, and even venous valves are visible, whose location can be verified by simple blood expression from the vein by pressing on the skin.

The devices allow the visualization of the venous system to a certain depth of tissue and vein size. For example, a device called VeinViewer can display veins up to a depth of 15 mm and clinically relevant veins up to a size of 10 mm. For better manipulation, some of the devices are equipped with a mechanical arm, allowing the medical professional's hands to remain free.

The cost of the devices is currently in the range of several thousand dollars, with the cost per examination being around 0.5–1 USD with long-term use. Thus, it is already a relatively affordable technological innovation that could be implemented into routine practice in the future.

Potential Uses in Clinical Practice

In the future, devices for locating veins could be used for securing venous access in pediatric patients, for whom this procedure is generally traumatic. According to available studies, the use of the device increases the success rate of securing a vein on the first attempt by up to 70% and reduces the duration of the procedure by more than 5 minutes in critically ill children. Besides pediatric patients, the device can also be beneficial for visualizing the venous system in individuals with poorly accessible periphery or within the context of education.

Beyond securing venous access, the method has other potential uses as well − because the device displays subcutaneous veins anywhere on the body, it can be used in other invasive procedures where vein puncture is undesirable (such as invasive cosmetic procedures in the facial area).

(holi)

Sources:
1. Augmented reality helping vein scanners –  too distant a dream in healthcare? The Medical Futurist, 2021 Nov 23. Available at: https://medicalfuturist.com/vein-scanner-augmented-reality
2. Vein scanners: examples for disruption. The Medical Futurist, 2016 Sep 6. Available at: https://medicalfuturist.com/vein-scanners-examples-for-disruption