The A-Lite Vein Locator

A-Lite Uganda Limited

The A-Lite Vein Locator

A non-invasive medical device that uses red-light technology to provide easy access to patients' veins.

Mbarara, Uganda

UGA

For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models

In low and middle-income countries (LMICs), children often suffer from conditions such as dehydration, severe malnutrition, and infections that require intravenous (IV) therapy or blood tests for accurate diagnosis and treatment. Intravenous therapy is routinely used for administration of fluids, medication or blood products with an estimated prevalence of 80% in modern day healthcare. It has been reported that approximately 1.2 billion peripheral intravenous catheters are inserted in hospitalized patients across the world annually. The quickest and most cost-effective method of gaining vascular access among sick children is by inserting a short IV catheter into a peripheral vein. However, even the most skilled healthcare practitioners struggle to locate veins on the first attempt, especially in sick children with collapsed or barely visible veins. Consequently, this leads to delayed treatment, prolonging the process by up to 30 minutes and necessitating as many as 9 attempts. Failed attempts of intravenous cannulation create frustrating moments for healthcare professionals, but more importantly, multiple attempts are painful, stressful, costly, and compromise the patient’s safety and care.

The A-Lite vein locator is a job aid for the frontline health workers to deliver timely, effective, and compassionate care. It is a non-invasive, lightweight blood vessel illuminator that utilizes the physical properties of deoxy-hemoglobin and absorption of red-light to distinguish veins from the surrounding tissue. The deoxy-hemoglobin in veins absorbs red light, causing the veins to appear as dark lines in contrast to the lighter surrounding tissue. This visual distinction enables clinicians to easily identify suitable veins, facilitating accurate intravenous cannulation with minimal discomfort to the patient. Preliminary data indicate that the A-Lite vein locator has: - Reduced the number of IV needle insertions to a single attempt, which in turn has minimized the risk of infection, tissue damage, and other complications. - Reduced medical waste associated with single-use medical supplies like syringes and needles to less than 5%, cutting down healthcare costs. - Shortened cannulation time of up to 60 seconds and less, saving critical treatment time. - Improved healthcare provider and patient satisfaction rate.

The target populations for the A-Lite vein locator comprises healthcare providers, hospitals, and clinics across Sub-Saharan Africa, with an estimated 80% of hospitalized patients requiring IV access. The device empowers frontline healthcare providers in rural and urban healthcare environments to deliver timely and effective care.