{"73347":{"#nid":"73347","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Device Could Enable More Accurate Injections","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen medics are treating trauma patients, every second counts. Yet bruises, burns, and other physical conditions often make it difficult to locate veins and administer lifesaving drugs or solutions.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn response, a team of Georgia Institute of Technology researchers is developing an inexpensive, handheld device that uses Doppler ultrasound technology to find veins quickly.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Depth and angle are the critical issues for vessel detection,\u0022 says project leader Michael Gray, a research engineer at the Electro-Optical (EOSL) Systems Laboratory within the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). \u0022Even if you locate a vein at the skin\u0027s surface, it\u0027s still easy to miss when you try to insert a needle into the tissue below.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Doppler effect is a phenomenon that occurs when electromagnetic and sound waves interact with a moving object, altering wavelengths and frequency. For example, a police radar gun sends microwave signals to a moving car, and when signals bounce back, the change in their frequency provides a measurement used to determine the vehicle\u0027s speed. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDoppler ultrasound is similar, except that acoustical waves are transmitted. Compared to static skin and tissue, blood is a moving substance, so ultrasonic waves reflected from blood vessels have different characteristics than transmitted ones, providing critical 3-D information about a vein\u0027s location. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHospitals have sophisticated ultrasound systems to evaluate the heart, valves and vessels for general blood-flow studies. But this kind of equipment is impractical and too costly for field use.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Although the use of Doppler technology isn\u0027t new, the novel aspect of our vein finder is the system\u0027s design, which makes it both portable and economical,\u0022 says Peter Rogers, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Mechanical Engineering.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe patent-pending vein finder is composed of two parts:  A reusable unit houses the electronics and signal processing components, while a disposable coupler box holds a reflector and needle guide. The needle guide is positioned parallel to the sound beam being transmitted by a transducer in the device\u0027s reusable section.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs medics move the device along a patient\u0027s arm or leg, the transducer emits a thin acoustical beam, about the size of pencil lead, into the reflector. Then the reflector directs the ultrasonic waves into the patient\u0027s skin at a slight angle. The device can determine the direction of blood flow to distinguish arteries (which carry blood away from the heart) from veins (which carry blood to the heart). Once the device detects a vein, an alarm is triggered, and medics insert the needle. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe vein finder has proved highly effective in initial tests on phantom tissue, a model that simulates human tissue and blood vessels. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have now begun adapting the device for human use.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDeveloping the user-friendly vein finder has been a deceptively complex task.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022One reason it\u0027s so challenging is that we\u0027re using very simple components to keep costs down,\u0022 notes Francois Guillot, a research engineer in the School of Mechanical Engineering. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnlike large ultrasound systems used by hospitals for general blood-flow studies, the vein finder is targeting a very small area of the body. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022That means the acoustical beam has to be smaller,\u0022 says Jim Larsen, a research engineer in EOSL. Another complication is that only a small amount of energy, about 1\/10,000 of transmitted waves, scatters off the vein. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022So you\u0027re limited in how much energy you can put in and how much you can pick up,\u0022 he adds. \u0022Cost, size and power issues restrict us to using a single sensor, which limits the type of signal processing we can do to eliminate the scattering effects.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce the system is successfully adapted for humans, data processing and electronics will be miniaturized in a prototype for field-testing. The researchers envision the final product will be about the size of a fat fountain pen. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECompared to existing devices on the market that try to locate veins with lights or heat strips, the GTRI-developed system will be faster and more reliable, says Connell Reynolds, founder of Reynolds Medical Inc., a medical device manufacturer in Fairburn, Ga., that is sponsoring the project.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA former paramedic, Reynolds says the vein finder will be invaluable for a variety of medical users, including ambulance services, hospital emergency rooms, clinics, the military and nursing homes. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022For example, IV (intravenous) insertion is especially difficult in dehydrated patients because their blood vessels lack normal volume,\u0022 he explains. \u0022Similarly, because cardiac patients\u0027 hearts aren\u0027t pumping properly, their veins are hard to locate. It\u0027s also difficult to find veins in obese people and young children because their vessels are covered by layers of fat.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to speed, the vein finder\u0027s accuracy will make treatment easier for hospital patients who need ongoing IVs or blood work. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELarsen recalls a hospital stay of his own that required numerous blood tests. This resulted in swelling and inflammation in his arms, making it increasingly more difficult for nurses to find his veins. \u0022It often took seven or eight tries,\u0022 he says. \u0022It wasn\u0027t long before I felt like a pin cushion.\u0022  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Kirk Englehardt (404-385-0280); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Michael Gray (404-657-0441); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:michael.gray@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emichael.gray@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Peter Rogers (404-894-3235); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:peter.rogers@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Epeter.rogers@me.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Connell Reynolds (770-463-1233); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:creyn39598@aol.com\u0022\u003Ecreyn39598@aol.com\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: T.J. Becker\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Vein Finder uses Doppler ultrasound to help medical personnel find veins"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"A team of Georgia Institute of Technology researchers is developing an inexpensive, handheld device that could help medical personnel provide faster and more accurate injections.  The devices uses Doppler ultrasound to locate veins.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New device helps medics find veins quickly"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2006-01-16 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:34","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2006-01-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2006-01-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"73348":{"id":"73348","type":"image","title":"Showing Vein Finder","body":null,"created":"1449178002","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:26:42","changed":"1475894676","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:36"},"73349":{"id":"73349","type":"image","title":"Research team","body":null,"created":"1449178002","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:26:42","changed":"1475894676","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:36"}},"media_ids":["73348","73349"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/me\/people\/academic.faculty\/Rogers_Peter.html","title":"Peter Rogers\\\u0027 Web Page"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/","title":"George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/eosl\/index.html","title":"GTRI Electro-Optical Systems Lab"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/me\/people\/research.faculty\/Francois.Guillot.html","title":"Francois Guillot\\\u0027s Web Page"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}