Original - Red LED Flashlight Transilluminator Vein Finder

I am a RN and my unit's vein finder broke, so I thought for the price it was worth a try. So at first I did not like this product and felt it did not work, but I then learned how to use it and had actually been helpful in some blood draws. For those PT's that are "hard sticks" this has actually been helpful in finding a vein for blood draws. Normally it is all about feel, however, some pts that are really obese, edematous, with small veins it is helpful to have a guide to help identify the size, location, and quality of veins. Anyways, the key is to not just put it flush to the skin but to actually press down into the skin.

This led flashlight with red light is spotty due to the fact that the light comes out of a few led diodes; therefore, the illumination is not even; and therefore, the spots and shadows that creates visual confusion. Personally I can see my veins more clearly without the help of that spotty light. It seems to me that if the light were even and more intense (more lumens) it may help. As it is, in not worth the little investment.Something else, I have a few broken led flashlights in a recycling box because the battery holder breaks and is not worth to keep buying those flimsy holder that breaks very easy. So, this gadget is just a modified flashlight that emits an apparent red light.

I did not like this product too much. You can only see a vein if the lights are out and your vein is quite big. You also have to press kind of hard and move it around a few times to even find a vein. Overall it is ok. Not to be used in an emergency.

This thing works. I've seen negative reviews but took a chance and I'm glad I did. To get the best effect from the light, follow the directions. In a dim room, move the light back and forth across an area your knowledge of anatomy tells you to expect a vein. Veins and arteries show up as dark shadows on the edge of the red glowing area of the light. Once you locate a vein go up and down the vein with the light to check for crooked veins. Anything with a pulse is an artery. Make a mental note of a landmark, or mark the vein with a surgical marker. Not only has it improved my success rate, once I have located the vein I am outwardly more confident and my patients are at ease. They are also impressed by the light itself. I work on a 25 bed med surg floor that gets a ton of direct admits from local nursing homes, very often dehydrated. I'm in a city that is 60% African American. I am dealing with some hard sticks and this light helps.

I purchased this Vein Finder to help me learn how to self-infuse a pharmaceutical product that can only be administered by IV. Self-infusion is preferred due to the freedom & the ability to treat myself quickly. Even with help from home-nursing, self-infusing has been a daunting task. My veins are delicate and roll easily.I found that this device is perfect for finding veins, tracing them, visualizing how delicate they are, and identifying any branches (bifucations?) to avoid. However, this study is best done in a dark-ish room. Also, the light only shows a small area around the flashlight, and you need to hold the flashlight closely against your skin. Keep moving the flashlight along the skin slowly in order to trace the vein.Because the circle of light is rather small, and because it's a hand-held flashlight, I can't really hold the flashlight in place while starting my own IV. If I were a nurse, I think it would also be difficult to hold this against the skin while placing an IV. However, it's definitely helpful for identifying good/bad surface veins and tracing where they go. For people whose veins roll easily, I think the more expensive products (and boy, are they expensive!) would be helpful to be sure the needle is in the vein and the vein hasn't rolled away. This flashlight is not practical for watching the vein as you insert the needle.Finally, miscellaneous observations:- This device really only shows surface veins. For me, that's OK.- If a vein "blows" and clouds the skin, you can't see past the cloud of blood to find any nearby/underlying veins. The blown vein may have healed, but this vein finder's light won't penetrate to the vein until the cloudy bruise has disappeared.- I'm a very fair-skinned person. We also tried this device on someone with darker skin, and we could see her veins quite clearly.- For thicker or hairy skin - i.e. most men - this device may not show as much. I think the thicker layer of skin (due to the abundance of hair follicles) prevents the red light from penetrating to the vein level.- I get the best visualization if I'm wearing a tourniquet while searching for veins.

Worked fine on my mother, who is Welsh/German (read: really, really pale). Did not work at all on my father, who is African American. Worked only somewhat on me, biracial with very light skin. So if you are super caucasuan,It is a useful tool. Unfortunately for me, I bought it for my father to spare him some of the pain during weekly Coumadin labs and occasional transfusions. It was not helpful at all on him, and a true disappointment for me because I had been waiting for this technology to be available to consumers since 2013. It fills a need, but not for everybody. And specifically, not the person for whom I purchased it.I would have liked to know that melanin affects read, and urge it be included as a disclaimer - and (hopefully) an incentive to offer an alternative at the same price for darker skin colors.