If you 've ever given blood , you 'll know that even the most skilled nurses and doctors can struggle to locate the vein first time . So hospitals in the US are trialling a device that can locate veins inside a person ’ s arm using harmless near-infrared light . Called Christie VeinViewer , the device detects veins and then projects the image of them in real-time on top of the arm to help the medical worker know where to put the needle . Scroll down for video . A Memphis-based company has released a system to observe veins . Called VeinViewer ( shown ) it uses infrared light to look 'under ' the skin . It can then project a high-definition image of the veins onto the surface of the skin . The device enables doctors and nurses to find a vein immediately . The medical system was designed by Memphis-based company Christie Medical Holdings . It shows a picture of your veins directly on your skin ’ s surface , ‘ hopefully saving you from the unnecessary pain of multiple needle stings , ’ said the company . The device attaches to a movable arm that can be wheeled into position , to keep it steady while observing a patient ’ s arm . It works by emitting near-infrared light , which is absorbed by hemoglobin in the blood and then reflected by surrounding tissue . The information is processed digitally by the unit , and projected in real-time onto the skin . VeinViewer works by emitting near-infrared light , which is absorbed by hemoglobin in the blood and then reflected by surrounding tissue . The information is processed digitally by the unit and projected in real-time onto the skin . It can see patterns up to 0.6 inches ( 15mm deep ) , and veins up to 0.4 inches ( 10mm ) deep . The device attaches to a movable arm that can be wheeled into position , to keep it steady while observing a patient ’ s arm . It works by emitting near-infrared light , which is absorbed by hemoglobin in the blood and then reflected by surrounding tissue . The information is processed digitally by the unit , and projected in real-time onto the skin . This provides an accurate image of the patient ’ s blood pattern . It can see patterns up to 0.6 inches ( 15mm deep ) , and veins up to 0.4 inches ( 10mm ) deep . This provides an accurate image of the patient ’ s blood pattern . It can see patterns up to 0.6 inches ( 15mm deep ) , and veins up to 0.4 inches ( 10mm ) deep . A fine detail mode also increases the contrast in the image , bringing out more detailed vein formations . This can allow a clinician to find turns in a person 's veins , called bifurcations , and valves . The user can also take up to 200 static images of patient vasculature - the arrangement of blood vessels in the body . ‘ Only VeinViewer can provide pre , during and post-access benefits throughout the entire vascular access procedure , ’ said Christie ’ s president , George Pinho . ‘ It is also the only device of its kind that has been shown through clinical studies to increase both first-stick success and patient satisfaction by up to 100 per cent while reducing medically unnecessary [ catheter ] lines by over 30 percent. ’ A fine detail mode also increases the contrast in the image , bringing out more detailed vein formations . This can allow a clinician to find turns in your veins , called bifurcations ( shown ) , and valves . In other tech-related hospital news , a company last month unveiled 'Robear ' , pictured above . It has a cub-like face but packs enough strength to transfer patients from a wheelchair or a floor-level bed to a bath , for example . It weighs 309lb ( 140kg ) with extending legs that stop the 'bear ' from falling over and it moves slowly and smoothly thanks to advance actuators in its mechanical arms . Robear was developed by the Riken-SRK Collaboration Centre for Human-Interactive Robot Research in Nagoya , Japan .
A Memphis-based company has released a system to observe veins . Called VeinViewer it uses infrared light to look under skin . It can then project an HD image of the veins onto the surface of the skin . Device enables doctors and nurses to find a vein immediately . It also highlights features such as bifurcations and valves .