Wilford Hall testing new vascular viewer

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Kimberly Spencer
  • 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  Airmen at the Wilford Hall Medical Center’s emergency department are helping evaluate a new light scope used to help locate patient’s veins and arteries.

The vascular viewer uses an infrared lighting source to trans-illuminate tissue. So medical personnel can use it to better locate a patient’s veins and arteries using a monoscope with night vision technology.

“Difficulty in finding patient’s veins can depend on a patient’s anatomy and disease progression,” emergency department nurse 1st Lt. Keith Schultz said. “It can also be hard to find a good vein on a patient whose veins have had to be accessed often due to illness.”

David Callard, vice president of engineering and product development for Infrared Imaging Systems said the technology was first developed at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. It was in response to requests by Army doctors at Walter Reed Medical Center in D.C.

The Air Force licensed the company to further develop the technology. The company designed the prototype medics began using at the medical center last week.

“Selecting Wilford Hall as the site for testing and evaluation was the logical choice,” said Greg Miller, company vice president of sales and marketing. “Where better than the flagship hospital of the Air Force?”

Lieutenant Schultz said, “Although still in the developmental stages, this technology does have great potential. It will provide a non-evasive method of venous and arterial exploration allowing doctors to better place intravenous lines, draw arterial blood gasses and aid in placement of arterial lines for monitoring blood pressure.”

The emergency department will work with the company’s research, design and development team to discuss where the prototype is working and where there is room for improvement. The company will determine how to best meet medics’ needs and continue to develop better prototypes for evaluation.

“As the only level-one trauma center in the Air Force, we are continually involved in developing better medical processes and products,” said Col. Donald Jenkins, 59th Medical Wing general surgery flight commander.

“This not only benefits our trauma victims and beneficiaries, but is crucial in developing technology used in saving lives on the battlefield,” he said.