Visualizing Veins for Nervous Donors

Dec-04-14 To help encourage timid blood donors, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service has been experimenting with a technology that will visualize blood donors' veins—helping to speed the process while also lessening the discomfort of giving blood.

The technology, already in trial studies, is being sought to address three main issues: relieving anxiety, improving comfort during the process and making donors more likely to donate again. The system works by projecting near infrared light onto the donor's arm. That light is absorbed by the deoxygenated hemoglobin in the veins and allows an image of the veins to be projected onto the skin.

This sort of near infrared technology is already in use in clinics and hospitals, and has been deemed safe. However, this is the first time the technology has been applied in this way.

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[PHYS.ORG]
[DONATEBLOOD.COM.AU]

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