Practical Patient Care: A Clearer View
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Company insight > Infection control A clearer view Transillumination has long been used to aid the viewing of superficial veins, but is often ineffective at penetrating thicker body tissue. TransLite’s Claire Terry explains how the company’s side-transillumination method can result in more extensive visualisation at a reduced cost. Can you describe how the Veinlite LED works? How does the method of side-transillumination enhance visualisation of the veins? Veinlite LED uses an innovative side-transillumination method for making skin translucent, so veins can be seen more easily. In side-transillumination, light shines into the skin from outside the area of interest. A circular array of bright LED lights is inclined inwards at an angle, so the light is focused towards the centre of the circle and below the surface of the skin, creating a virtual light source under the skin. This technique achieves uniform transillumination of a small region of tissue and enables visualisation of peripheral veins anywhere on the body. Veinlite LED uses 24 LED lights in two colours: a bright orange that gives the best differential absorption between venous blood and the surrounding tissue, and a darker red colour, which penetrates dark skin better and goes deeper into the tissue. Together, these two colours give the best results. The deoxyhaemoglobin in venous blood absorbs light, so illuminated veins show up as dark lines. They can easily be identified and their depth assessed. Veins closest to the surface appear darker and more defined than deeper veins. The ‘C’-shaped design provides a wide opening for access with a needle, and by applying gentle downwards pressure on the Veinlite LED while pulling back on the skin, the skin is stretched and the vein is prevented from rolling, making it easier for the needle to penetrate the skin and the vein in a single action. The ‘C’-shaped design provides a wide opening for access with a needle, while gentle pressure prevents the vein from rolling. What are the main applications for the Veinlite LED system? The Veinlite LED is used in emergency medicine, such as in ambulances and emergency departments, for preoperative IV access, in intensive care, in oncology and chemotherapy, in radiology and research, in endocrinology clinics, and in paediatric or neonatal units. There is also a growing market in home care nursing, as many patients are having infusions administered at home. The two applications that really inspire us are paediatrics and oncology. No one wants a child to suffer the pain of repeated IV access attempts. Many oncology patients, especially those treated with chemotherapy, have difficultto-access superficial veins, but need frequent blood tests as well as infusions, so the Veinlite LED is very helpful for this group of patients. The deep red light in the Veinlite LED penetrates dark skin more efficiently. How easy is it to incorporate the technology into hospitals’ everyday practice? And how much effort has been put into making the device user-friendly? Veinlites are very easy to use and require minimal training. We have provided detailed instructional videos on our web site at www.translitellc.com. Veinlite LEDs are small and light enough to fit in a pocket, and they have carrying cases with belt clips and space for spare disposable covers. They come with a rechargeable battery and have a low-charge indicator that lights up when the battery has 25% charge left. If the charge has run out, the unit can still be used with the charger plugged into any wall socket and there is a long cord to facilitate this. Disposable plastic covers are used to protect the device from contamination. With an increasing focus on infection control, how important is this for your customers? The disposable plastic barrier covers are vital for preventing cross contamination between patients. As any patient could be infected with an as-yet-undiagnosed infectious disease, it is important to treat every patient as though they were infected, and always use practices that prevention cross contamination. Most hospitals and clinics have strict Practical Patient Care | www.hospitalmanagement.net

Company insight > Infection control procedures that forbid touching a patient with a piece of equipment that has touched another patient. The single-use plastic covers completely encase the Veinlite LED, so the unit does not touch the patient. As an extra precaution, or as required by local procedures, the unit itself can be cleaned with a germicidal wipe, but this should never take the place of using the disposable plastic covers. Having an indwelling catheter or port risks infection, and can be a nuisance to the patient; it’s also a daily reminder of their condition. Using a Veinlite LED...