Nobody enjoys the sight of a needle in their arm, let alone having to endure more than one poke during a doctor’s visit.

Pullman Regional Hospital has begun the year using a device which projects a digital image of a patient’s veins onto their skin – with an X-ray-like effect – to make the process of finding veins more effective.

“You can’t visualize veins as well with everybody,” said Stacey Aggabao, director of emergency services at PRH, “It gives you a roadmap to go by.”

Created to help patients with certain vein complications, the VeinViewer allows healthcare providers another option when dealing with intravenous operations.

Aggabao described it as a non-invasive electrical aid device. It projects near-infrared light onto the skin, which is absorbed by hemoglobin in the patients’ blood. The result is a computer-generated image of the veins beneath the skin, tissues and fat.

It shows patients’ vein structure and can lend clues as to which veins might be easiest to stick with a needle, Aggabao said.

She said the device was acquired with pediatrics in mind. After researching the market and discovering Christie Medical Holdings, she set up a demo with other professionals at the hospital and went with the VeinViewer, with a price tag of $15,000.

“We have the higher-end, more accurate device,” said Aggabao.

Christie has a division called Christie Digital. It creates a plethora of other advanced equipment, including the 3D Higher Frame Rate camera – used to film the movies Avatar by James Cameron and The Hobbit by Peter Jackson.

“VeinViewer is a little unique in that the original company was created around the product,” said Erin Shelton, product manager at Christie.

In 1994, the method was discovered at the University of Tennessee, Shelton said, by a researcher looking for a solution to macular degeneration, a disease of the retina that causes blurred vision.

By accident, the researcher discovered his method enhanced the visibility of veins, said Shelton. In the early 2000’s, investors had provided funds to create a workable medical device, with the first product available in 2006.

Since then, the device has spawned five subsequent generations. The current model is called the VeinViewer Vision2 and it is the model Pullman Regional currently uses.

Along with a long development comes preparation to launch.

“The FDA requires different levels of testing and clinical studies before a product can be cleared to sell,” Shelton said

Shelton said Christie’s customers include many prominent healthcare facilities, including Baylor Scott & White Health of Texas. The device is being used in 15 Scott & White facilities as of March 2015, according to a press release.

Shelton said the technology was developed to help people with a need for regular intravenous infusions, who encounter issues with these processes that aren’t considered by those without chronic illness.

“Patients with cancer or renal disease, for example, need as many options as possible.”