Smart glasses from Evena Medical detect patient veins for precise IV placement

December 26, 2013 by Amara D. Angelica

Image of Eyes-On Glasses by Evena Medical. (credit: Evena Medical)

Ever had a nurse stick you multiple times, trying to locate a vein to draw blood? That pain is about to be history.

The new Eyes-On “smart glasses” from Evena Medical now allow nurses to see through a patient’s skin to the vasculature beneath.

The device adds multispectral 3D imaging to Epson Moverio glasses. Nurses can share images remotely via Bluetooth, WiFi, and 3G wireless, using a belt-mounted computer and battery pack.

It can also record photos or videos of the imagery and save them on its onboard storage for playback. Embedded speakers also allow for audio conferencing.

The system also interfaces with hospital electronic medical records systems for seamless documentation, the company says.

OK, Glass. Find a vein.

Vasculature image. (credit: Evena Medical)

A battery pack and computer, instead of an Android/iPhone link? Could this be done more effectively with Google Glass (without 3D), as a compact system that could perform additional mobile, diagnostic tasks, such as AR overlay of patient records and remote videoconferencing via smartphone?

The vasculature is typically viewed transdermally using infrared (IR) imaging, which is what the image below appears to be using. Perhaps a simple near-IR filter lens overlay would work? There’s an IR light built into Glass as a proximity sensor, which could add some luminosity in the IR range.

How about adding TriCorder capabilities? As in the cool Scanadu gadget, which also has an LED light, tech details here, and the latest here.

As for the 3D aspect, the MetaPro might be a good choice, if 3D is really needed.