Technological innovations are creative ideas that help to shape the world. Although technology has already made vast improvements in the healthcare system, new technological innovations are always welcomed.
One of the newest innovations created concerns the use of specialized glasses. These specialized glasses enable users to detect changes within the vascular system by simply observing the surface of the skin.
The use of this eyewear would provide an incredible experience for any phlebotomist; as it would provide an enhanced view of the vascular system allowing for easy venipuncture procedures.
Another Link Between Primates and Humans
This patented eyewear was developed by 2AI laboratories located in Boise, Idaho. To date, these glasses are in the testing phase and are currently being used at two regional hospitals. One of the individuals in this study is Mark A. Changizi, Ph.D. By profession, he is currently the director of Human Cognition at 2AI Laboratory in addition to being a researcher and evolutionary biologist. Due to his research concerning these innovative glasses, he has come to the conclusion that primates develop the ability to see color in order to perceive variations in blood oxygenation. He also concludes that this ability is found in humans at a lesser extent. Accordingly, the changes in the level of blood oxygen are indicative of social signals. Changizi believes that these signals provide insight into the emotional state of primates and humans. As such, he believes that a change in blood oxygenation would reveal emotional states such as embarrassment, rage or envy.
Keen Vision in Primates Lead to Innovative Eyewear
With his findings, Changizi developed the idea to create specialized glasses which would allow humans to detect fluctuations in blood oxygenation; therefore, allowing individuals such as phlebotomy technicians and other medical professionals to determine overall health conditions. The use of such a technological innovation would be most useful in a medical laboratory being part of the equipment used by phlebotomists. Changizi declares that these glasses would only enhance what the human eye does naturally: Detect two color changes within the blood.
Specialized Eyewear Shows Great Medical Potential
The innovation of these specialized glasses show great potential for use in the medical field. Any phlebotomist would find the use of such glasses to be beneficial, as it would enhance his or her working experience by amplifying the vascular system under the skin. This would undoubtedly enable phlebotomists to easily detect a vein of interest and perform venipuncture procedures with ease. Additionally, it would allow these professionals to detect health concerns in their patients. Patients undergoing laboratory procedures would also find such glasses to be beneficial. As such, it would allow for a better clinical experience due to less pricking in situations where veins are not easily detected.
The Functionality of a New Innovation
The functionality of these glasses would provide a visual perception concerning the variation in the level of blood oxygenation within the vascular system. This would be made possible by specialized lenses known as O2Amp. The name of these lenses simply denotes its function: Oxygen amplification. To understand the process, blood oxygenation is the quantity of inhaled oxygen that binds to the hemoglobin protein within the blood.
This binding process allows oxygen to be dispersed throughout the various tissues and organs within an organism, as it travels throughout the circulatory system. The changes in oxygen level would allow a phlebotomy technician to diagnose medical conditions concerning the overall health of his or her patients.
This would be possible due to the detection of a change in blood color made visible by the use of such specialized glasses. With the use of these glasses, a phlebotomy technician would view blood as being bright red or dark red in color. Blood rich in oxygen would appear as bright red and be an indicator of good health. Blood low in oxygen, however, would appear as dark red and indicate poor health, as the organ system would be deprived of the oxygen necessary to maintain vitality.
The Use of O2Amp Lenses
Three pair of glasses are presently patented with the use of O2Amp lenses: The Oxy-Iso, Hemo-Iso and the Oxy-Amp. These glasses were creatively and scientifically designed for phlebotomists, nurses and other healthcare professionals who work with the vascular system. The ingenuity of these glasses would provide such medical professionals with a new and exciting way of dealing with healthcare. The function and use of these glasses are as follows:
Oxy-Iso
- Helps to isolate blood according to its level of oxygen.
- Enhanced blood oxygenation can be seen directly under the skin.
- Used for medical purposes related to the vascular system.
- Phlebotomy technicians and nurses would find this equipment most useful.
Hemo-Iso
- Blood concentration is separated.
- The visual perception of blood concentration within the veins become enlarged.
- Healthcare professionals such as paramedics and emergency care physicians would find this eyewear to be beneficial.
Oxy-Amp
- An amplification process takes place concerning the following:
- The perception concerning the quality of health.
- Emotional signals associated with embarrassment, rage or envy.
- It would allow the interpretation of the natural world to remain the same.
As clinical laboratory managers and other healthcare administrators begin to recognize the value of such specialized glasses, a vast improvement would be made within the medical community. To date, patient ratings concerning hospital visits are extremely low. This low satisfactory rating is primarily associated with the discomfort of venipuncture procedures. With an investment of $300 for an individual pair of glasses or the combined investment of $847 for a set of three, hospital ratings are sure to increase. This increase would be due to an increase in patient satisfaction concerning laboratory procedures. Such an investment would prove to be wise.
This story was originally reported in Technology Review
