Let’s just say that you’re a medic out there “in the field” in the middle of the night, with bad guys all over the surrounding hill tops, and they just shot one of your buddies. You managed to move the injured soldier to a safer location, and are attempting to setup an IV, but you certainly don’t want to turn on the flashlight with enemy snipers scanning every inch of the landscape.
That’s where the BattleView Infrared Vascular Trans-illuminator may be of help, as it shines infrared light through the body part where you’re trying to set the IV, illuminating the internal anatomy for your night vision goggles to see as bright as day.
From the product page:
The device incorporates four encapsulated IR LED’s that bond with the iron in the venous blood travelling back to the heart, effectively fluorescing the veins. [The veins are not actually fluorescing. Instead the frequency of light used is more selectively absorbed by vasculature, making it look darker. -ed] This makes target veins extremely easy to spot, allowing IV’s to be inserted as if under normal lighting conditions.
BattleView © has a fantastic power to size ratio, capable of shining right through several inches of tissue. It can be used on the upper appendages to locate commonly targeted veins (Cephalic and Dorsal Venous) in the hand and wrist. It can even reveal the veins in the medial part of the lower arm (Median Anti-Brachial and Cephalic). In areas of higher muscular density, BattleView © can be rotated to the same side as the infiltration site to trans-illuminate the superficial target veins. The same can be done on the lower appendages when targeting common structures like the Saphenous Vein.
BattleView © is one of the most innovative products developed for the tactical medicine community. Its lightweight foam and neoprene construction make it easily packable in a medic’s kit and it deploys in seconds. Simply run the patient’s appendage through the shock cord retaining band with the foam pad against the skin and click the on/off button. BattleView © is powered by a single 3-volt CR123A lithium battery. The LED’s operate in the near-infrared spectrum. So, while they mainly produce IR light visible only through night vision goggles, they also emit a faint red glow that is visible to the naked eye. The red glow can only be seen from a few feet away and is used for checking power status without NVG aid. The IR emission is very strong, allowing BattleView © to be used as an IR Beacon or area light as well. In addition, the unit also produces heat when powered on. The heat lets it be used as a thermal beacon. Because the device produces heat, though; users should take caution in leaving it on a patient for too long.
Product page: BattleView Infrared Vascular Trans-illuminator
(hat tip: Endo Blog)