Vein Pattern Locating Technology for Cannulation: A Review of the Low-Cost Vein Finder Prototypes Utilizing near Infrared (NIR) Light to Improve Peripheral Subcutaneous Vein Selection for Phlebotomy

One of the most common means for diagnosis is through medical laboratory testing, which primarily uses venous blood as a sample. This requires an invasive method by cannulation that needs proper vein selection. The use of a vein finder would help the phlebotomist to easily locate the vein, preventing possible pre-analytical error in the specimen collection and even more discomfort and pain to the patient. This paper is a review of the scientific publications on the different developed low-cost vein finder prototypes utilizing camera assisted near infrared (NIR) light technology. Methods: Electronic databases were searched online, these included PubMed (PMC), MEDLINE, Science Direct, ResearchGate, and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Xplore digital library. Specifically, publications with the terms vein finder prototype, NIR technology, vein detection, and infrared imaging were screened. In addition, reference lists were used to further review related publications. Results: Cannulation challenges medical practitioners because of the different factors that can be reduced by the utilization of a vein finder. A limited number of publications regarding the assessment of personnel performing cannulation were observed. Moreover, variations in methodology, number of patients, type of patients according to their demographics and materials used in the assessment of the developed prototypes were noted. Some studies were limited with regard to the actual human testing of the prototype. Conclusions: The development of a low-cost effective near infrared (NIR) vein finder remains in the phase of improvement. Since, it is being challenged by different human factors, increasing the number of parameters and participants/human for actual testing of the prototypes must also be taken into consideration for possible commercialization. Finally, it was noted that publications regarding the assessment of the performance of phlebotomists using vein finders were limited.

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Deep tissue near-infrared imaging for vascular network analysis

Journal of Innovative Optical Health Sciences ◽

10.1142/s1793545816500516 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (03) ◽

pp. 1650051 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Kübra Seker ◽

Mehmet Engin

Keyword(s):

Network Analysis ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Infrared Imaging ◽

Imaging System ◽

Hemoglobin Concentration ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Vascular Network ◽

Vascular Imaging ◽

Nir Light ◽

Optical Region

Subcutaneous vein network plays important roles to maintain microcirculation that is related to some diagnostic aspects. Despite developments of optical imaging technologies, still the difficulties about deep skin vascular imaging have been continued. On the other hand, since hemoglobin concentration of human blood has key role in the veins imaging by optical manner, the used wavelength in vascular imaging, must be chosen considering absorption of hemoglobin. In this research, we constructed a near infrared (NIR) light source because of lower absorption of hemoglobin in this optical region. To obtain vascular image, reflectance geometry was used. Next, from recorded images, vascular network analysis, such as calculation of width of vascular of interest and complexity of selected region were implemented. By comparing with other modalities, we observed that proposed imaging system has great advantages including nonionized radiation, moderate penetration depth of 0.5–3[Formula: see text]mm and diameter of 1[Formula: see text]mm, cost-effective and algorithmic simplicity for analysis.

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Towards a Low-Cost Mobile Subcutaneous Vein Detection Solution Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

The Scientific World JOURNAL ◽

10.1155/2014/365902 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Simon Juric ◽

Vojko Flis ◽

Matjaz Debevc ◽

Andreas Holzinger ◽

Borut Zalik

Keyword(s):

Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Infrared Imaging ◽

Low Cost ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Research Direction ◽

Future Research ◽

Pubmed Database

Excessive venipunctures are both time- and resource-consuming events, which cause anxiety, pain, and distress in patients, or can lead to severe harmful injuries. We propose a low-cost mobile health solution for subcutaneous vein detection using near-infrared spectroscopy, along with an assessment of the current state of the art in this field. The first objective of this study was to get a deeper overview of the research topic, through the initial team discussions and a detailed literature review (using both academic and grey literature). The second objective, that is, identifying the commercial systems employing near-infrared spectroscopy, was conducted using the PubMed database. The goal of the third objective was to identify and evaluate (using the IEEE Xplore database) the research efforts in the field of low-cost near-infrared imaging in general, as a basis for the conceptual model of the upcoming prototype. Although the reviewed commercial devices have demonstrated usefulness and value for peripheral veins visualization, other evaluated clinical outcomes are less conclusive. Previous studies regarding low-cost near-infrared systems demonstrated the general feasibility of developing cost-effective vein detection systems; however, their limitations are restricting their applicability to clinical practice. Finally, based on the current findings, we outline the future research direction.

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Detection of early neoplasia in Barrett’s esophagus using lectin-based near-infrared imaging: an ex vivo study on human tissue

Endoscopy ◽

10.1055/s-0043-124080 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 50 (06) ◽

pp. 618-625 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

André Neves ◽

Massimiliano Di Pietro ◽

Maria O’Donovan ◽

Dale Waterhouse ◽

Sarah Bohndiek ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Barrett’S Esophagus ◽

Barrett's Esophagus ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Infrared Imaging ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Sampling Error ◽

Nir Light ◽

Nir Imaging ◽

Nir Fluorescence ◽

Nir Dye

Abstract Background and study aims Endoscopic surveillance for Barrett’s esophagus (BE) is limited by long procedure times and sampling error. Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging minimizes tissue autofluorescence and optical scattering. We assessed the feasibility of a topically applied NIR dye-labeled lectin for the detection of early neoplasia in BE in an ex vivo setting. Methods Consecutive patients undergoing endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) for BE-related early neoplasia were recruited. Freshly collected EMR specimens were sprayed at the bedside with fluorescent lectin and then imaged. Punch biopsies were collected from each EMR under NIR light guidance. We compared the fluorescence intensity from dysplastic and nondysplastic areas within EMRs and from punch biopsies with different histological grades. Results 29 EMR specimens were included from 17 patients. A significantly lower fluorescence was found for dysplastic regions across whole EMR specimens (P < 0.001). We found a 41 % reduction in the fluorescence of dysplastic compared to nondysplastic punch biopsies (P < 0.001), with a sensitivity and specificity for dysplasia detection of 80 % and 82.9 %, respectively. Conclusion Lectin-based NIR imaging can differentiate dysplastic from nondysplastic Barrett’s mucosa ex vivo.

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Three-Dimensional Thermal Mapping from IRT Images for Rapid Architectural Heritage NDT

Buildings ◽

10.3390/buildings10100187 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 187

Author(s):

Efstathios Adamopoulos ◽

Monica Volinia ◽

Mario Girotto ◽

Fulvio Rinaudo

Keyword(s):

Optical Sensors ◽

Infrared Imaging ◽

Low Cost ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Thermal Infrared ◽

Architectural Heritage ◽

Thermal Camera ◽

Historical Building ◽

Custom Made

Thermal infrared imaging is fundamental to architectural heritage non-destructive diagnostics. However, thermal sensors’ low spatial resolution allows capturing only very localized phenomena. At the same time, thermal images are commonly collected with independence of geometry, meaning that no measurements can be performed on them. Occasionally, these issues have been solved with various approaches integrating multi-sensor instrumentation, resulting in high costs and computational times. The presented work aims at tackling these problems by proposing a workflow for cost-effective three-dimensional thermographic modeling using a thermal camera and a consumer-grade RGB camera. The discussed approach exploits the RGB spectrum images captured with the optical sensor of the thermal camera and image-based multi-view stereo techniques to reconstruct architectural features’ geometry. The thermal and optical sensors are calibrated employing custom-made low-cost targets. Subsequently, the necessary geometric transformations between undistorted thermal infrared and optical images are calculated to replace them in the photogrammetric scene and map the models with thermal texture. The method’s metric accuracy is evaluated by conducting comparisons with different sensors and the efficiency by assessing how the results can assist the better interpretation of the present thermal phenomena. The conducted application demonstrates the metric and radiometric performance of the proposed approach and the straightforward implementability for thermographic surveys, as well as its usefulness for cost-effective historical building assessments.

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Clinical use of organic near-infrared fluorescent contrast agents in image-guided oncologic procedures and its potential in veterinary oncology

Veterinary Record ◽

10.1136/vr.104851 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 183 (11) ◽

pp. 354-354 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Sophie Favril ◽

Eline Abma ◽

Francesco Blasi ◽

Emmelie Stock ◽

Nausikaa Devriendt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fluorescence Imaging ◽

Fluorescent Probes ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Surgical Oncology ◽

Great Promise ◽

Lymph Node Mapping ◽

Nir Light ◽

Nir Fluorescence

One of the major challenges in surgical oncology is the intraoperative discrimination of tumoural versus healthy tissue. Until today, surgeons rely on visual inspection and palpation to define the tumoural margins during surgery and, unfortunately, for various cancer types, the local recurrence rate thus remains unacceptably high. Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging is an optical imaging technique that can provide real-time preoperative and intraoperative information after administration of a fluorescent probe that emits NIR light once exposed to a NIR light source. This technique is safe, cost-effective and technically easy. Several NIR fluorescent probes are currently studied for their ability to highlight neoplastic cells. In addition, NIR fluorescence imaging holds great promise for sentinel lymph node mapping. The aim of this manuscript is to provide a literature review of the current organic NIR fluorescent probes tested in the light of human oncology and to introduce fluorescence imaging as a valuable asset in veterinary oncology.

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A Low-Cost Implantable Near-Infrared Imaging System of Spinal Cord Activity in the Cat

IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems ◽

10.1109/tbcas.2010.2067211 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 4 (5) ◽

pp. 329-335 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Alexandre Goguin ◽

Frédéric Lesage ◽

Hugues Leblond ◽

Mélanie Pelegrini-Issac ◽

Serge Rossignol ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Infrared Imaging ◽

Imaging System ◽

Low Cost ◽

Near Infrared Imaging ◽

Infrared Imaging System

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A Cost-Effective and Portable Optical Sensor System to Estimate Leaf Nitrogen and Water Contents in Crops

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s20051449 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (5) ◽

pp. 1449 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mohammad Habibullah ◽

Mohammad Reza Mohebian ◽

Raju Soolanayakanahally ◽

Khan A. Wahid ◽

Anh Dinh

Keyword(s):

Water Content ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Low Cost ◽

Gaussian Process Regression ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Leaf Nitrogen ◽

Sensor System ◽

Coefficient Of Determination ◽

Healthy Growth ◽

Water Contents

Non-invasive determination of leaf nitrogen (N) and water contents is essential for ensuring the healthy growth of the plants. However, most of the existing methods to measure them are expensive. In this paper, a low-cost, portable multispectral sensor system is proposed to determine N and water contents in the leaves, non-invasively. Four different species of plants—canola, corn, soybean, and wheat—are used as test plants to investigate the utility of the proposed device. The sensor system comprises two multispectral sensors, visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR), detecting reflectance at 12 wavelengths (six from each sensor). Two separate experiments were performed in a controlled greenhouse environment, including N and water experiments. Spectral data were collected from 307 leaves (121 for N and 186 for water experiment), and the rational quadratic Gaussian process regression (GPR) algorithm was applied to correlate the reflectance data with actual N and water content. By performing five-fold cross-validation, the N estimation showed a coefficient of determination ( R 2 ) of 63.91% for canola, 80.05% for corn, 82.29% for soybean, and 63.21% for wheat. For water content estimation, canola showed an R 2 of 18.02%, corn showed an R 2 of 68.41%, soybean showed an R 2 of 46.38%, and wheat showed an R 2 of 64.58%. The result reveals that the proposed low-cost sensor with an appropriate regression model can be used to determine N content. However, further investigation is needed to improve the water estimation results using the proposed device.

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A Study on Raised Serum LDH Level in Acute Intestinal Obstruction – A Marker of Bowel Gangrene

Academia Journal of Surgery ◽

10.47008/ajs/2020.3.1.26 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 120-123

Author(s):

Anantha Kumar Nateson ◽

Suresh Nayak Basavanayak ◽

Sudarsan Srikanth

Keyword(s):

Intestinal Obstruction ◽

Venous Blood ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Abdominal Distension ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Acute Intestinal Obstruction ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Study Results ◽

Bowel Gangrene ◽

Aseptic Conditions

Background: Bowel gangrene is a major abdominal catastrophe associated with high mortality rate. Intestinal obstruction accounts for 20% of all surgical emergencies around the world. The present study aims to estimate the LDH levels in patients with acute intestinal obstruction and correlate with bowel viability. Subjects and Methods: In this study, the estimation of serum LDH was conducted in 45 cases of acute intestinal obstruction who were admitted in surgical wards. After fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria the study subjects were recruited. All the cases were thoroughly examined. Time of presentation and onset of symptoms were noted. Under aseptic conditions, 3 ml venous blood samples were collected from the study subjects, centrifuged at 3000 rpm and separated serum sample was used for the estimation of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and the estimated value of serum LDH is compared with the viability of the bowel intra operatively. Results: The total number of patients presented with obstruction is 45 out of which 25 were found to have elevated LDH which is about 55.56%. Out of 25 patients presented with elevated LDH, 20 patients found to have gangrenous bowel. 60% presented with abdominal pain and 40% had irreducible swelling. Most commonly associated symptoms are vomiting (84%) followed by abdominal distension (40%), obstipation (36%), pyrexia (24%), blood in stools (8%) and diarrhoea (4%). Per rectal examination showed 76% had normal faecal staining, 12% blood stained faeces and 8% empty. Complications observed were anastomotic leak 8%, wound infection 16%, wound gaping 8%, burst abdomen 8%. Conclusion: The present study results indicate that ischemic changes in any part of the bowel can cause elevation in the serum levels of LDH and a higher value of >1000 IU/L strongly indicates an underlying gangrenous change. It is a less invasive, cost effective and easily available diagnostic tool to diagnose bowel ischemia/gangrene. Hence it is more useful in centres where the diagnostic facilities are limited.

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Efficient resource management for cost effective healthcare at Jinnah postgraduate medical centre

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20175367 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (12) ◽

pp. 4769

Author(s):

Shafaq Jawed ◽

Syed Maaz Tariq

Keyword(s):

Low Cost ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Public Hospitals ◽

Medical Centre ◽

Tuberculosis Patients ◽

Delayed Treatment ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Efficient Resource ◽

Quality Medical Care ◽

Poor Management

Jinnah Post graduate medical Centre (JPMC) is on the biggest public hospitals of Pakistan, serves 1.2 million patients annually, 4,38,000 patients examined in the emergency department alone. Most of health services & treatments are low cost at JPMC and affordable for everyone. However, over the past few years the number of patients in emergency as well as Outpatient department has substantially increased causing stress on physical, human and financial resources. The number of patients has increased by two folds in the last decade. These number are continuously increasing and over burden to available infrastructure is a hindrance in the way of quality medical care. A study conducted in the department of chest medicine of JPMC revealed that among 120 tuberculosis patients, almost 50% (60) died during hospitalization. Delayed treatment, absence of smear records were among the major prognostic factors. Limited resources coupled with poor management results in compromised health care.

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A New Methodology To Screen Hemoglobinopathies Using Capillary Blood Samples.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v106.11.5562.5562 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 106 (11) ◽

pp. 5562-5562

Author(s):

Celeste Bento ◽

Luis Relvas ◽

Umbelina Rebelo ◽

Helena Vazão ◽

Joana Campos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Hematological Parameters ◽

Venous Blood ◽

Public Information ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Capillary Blood ◽

Genetic Characteristics ◽

Blood Samples ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Maternity Hospitals

Abstract The prevalence of β-thalassemia carriers among the Portuguese was around 2–3%, but nowadays, due to the immigrant populations coming from Africa, Brazil, East Europe and Asia, with different forms of thalassemias and Hb variants, hemoglobinopathies are much more common and with different genetic characteristics. Concerned with the risk of having an increasing number of patients with the severe forms of hemoglobinopathies, we decided to screen carriers, after personal informed consent, among pregnant women until 18-weeks of gestation and young adults attending primary care services. The goal of the project is to screen approximately 50000 blood samples in order to: know the hemoglobinopathies frequency and heterogeneity in the population living in Central Portugal (~2500000 inhabitants), and, based on these data, to develop a future cost/effective strategy for carrier identification; identify carriers to provide genetic information and counseling. In primary care medical centers there are no facilities to collect venous blood samples and we needed to establish a methodology to identify Hb variants and to correctly quantify HbA2 and Hb F in capillary blood samples, which has to be send by ordinary mail to our Lab Center. Working with the “HbA1c Capillary Collection System” from BioRad, we settled an accurate procedure to perform HPLC analysis on capillary blood stored at room temperature until 7 days after collection. To validate the technique we tested, in diverse conditions, more than 200 random and known controls samples: for the same individuals, HPLC results in capillary blood, collected with this system, and in EDTA peripheral blood samples, were identical. This methodology will detect β- and δβ-thalassemias and Hb variants; molecular characterization can be done through blood spots in filter paper (Guthrie spots) collected at the same time. Within 24–48 hours after sample reception in the Lab, results are reported to the respective physician, who is going to establish the correlation with the hematological parameters. Carriers identified through the screening will be urged to have their partner tested. If they are both carriers, they will be sent to our out patient clinic in order to evaluate the risk of having a child with a clinically significant hemoglobinopathy. If indicated, underling mutation will be identified, genetic counseling provided and prenatal diagnosis offered. The project, supported by the national program Saúde XXI/FEDER/FSE, started last April, was preceded by training sessions for doctors and nurses working in primary care centers and maternity hospitals. Brochures and posters are distributed for public information. As reported in some European surveys, we are willing to be effective in preventing the birth of affected infants with sickle cell disease and severe forms of thalassemia in Portugal.

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