The cartridge
Every procedure uses a single-use guide cartridge — the sterile, patient-facing consumable that keeps the reusable device clean and each access sterile. The cartridge is central to both safety and the product's economics.
The product
VeinMate Assist
A forearm-worn guide that turns vein-finding from a matter of experience into a matter of clear, repeatable guidance — with the clinician always in the loop.
At a glance
The device, in plain terms.
A qualitative picture of what VeinMate Assist is and what it does. These are design characteristics of an investigational device — not certified specifications or proven performance.
Form factor
Forearm-worn guide
Weight
Under 300 g
Procedures
IV cannulation & venous blood sampling
Sensing
Near-infrared imaging + ultrasound depth
Intelligence
On-device AI guidance (advisory)
Consumable
Single-use guide cartridge
Connectivity
Secure Wi-Fi
Records
Structured session logs
Operator
Trained clinician
IV cannulation
Blood sampling
Paediatrics
Difficult access
Diagnostic labs
What it is
Guidance beneath the skin, decided by the clinician.
VeinMate Assist is a wearable guidance device for peripheral vascular access — IV cannulation and venous blood sampling. It combines near-infrared vein imaging, ultrasound depth sensing, and a patented single-use guide cartridge to identify the optimal insertion point beneath the skin. The clinician reviews that guidance and performs the access.
It is AI-guided. It is clinician-executed. It is not autonomous.
That distinction is core to how the product is designed, positioned, and regulated.
The four steps (expanded)
From live image to recorded session.
1
Image the vessel
The device sits over the target site and captures a live near-infrared view of the subcutaneous veins. Ultrasound depth sensing adds the third dimension — how deep the vessel sits and how wide it is.
2
Identify the optimal point
On-device models segment the vein network and highlight the best insertion point, with a clear confidence indication. Guidance is designed to work across skin tones, not just the ones that show up easily under infrared.
3
The clinician performs the access
The clinician confirms the highlighted target and carries out the cannulation or draw. If the picture isn't clear, the clinician re-images or repositions before proceeding. Control never leaves the clinician's hands.
4
Record the session
Each procedure is captured as a structured record — outcome, timing, and device telemetry — ready for quality review, audit trails, and later integration with clinical systems.
Designed around the clinical workflow
Built to fit real clinical teams.
VeinMate Assist is designed to slot into the way vascular access already happens at the bedside — not to replace the person doing it. The device adds a clearer picture and a second opinion; the clinician keeps every decision.
- Image over the target site to bring the veins beneath the skin into view.
- Review the guidance and the highlighted insertion point, with a clear confidence indication.
- Perform the access — the clinician always carries out the cannulation or draw.
- Re-image or reposition if the picture isn't clear before proceeding.
- The session is recorded as a structured log for quality review and audit.
Control stays with the clinician at every step. The device is advisory: it images and guides, and it never inserts, punctures, or retracts on its own.
Cartridge & sterility
One sterile part, used once.
Every procedure uses a single-use guide cartridge — the sterile, patient-facing consumable through which each access is performed. It is designed to be the only part that touches the sterile field, then discarded after a single use.
Keeping the sterile interface in a disposable cartridge lets the reusable device stay clean between patients, and makes the single-use part central to both patient safety and the product's unit economics.
- Sterile, patient-facing consumable — one cartridge per procedure.
- Keeps the reusable device clean between patients.
- Single-use by design; never re-used or re-sterilised.
- Central to both the safety story and the unit economics.
Connectivity & control
The device connects over Wi-Fi through its own secure link, with enough bandwidth for live imaging. A companion application lets the clinical team monitor status, review sessions, and manage devices across a fleet.
The companion application
A window onto the whole fleet.
Alongside the device, a companion application gives clinical teams a single place to keep track of their VeinMate Assist units. It is built for oversight and quality review — not for making clinical decisions.
- Monitor device status across the ward, the clinic, or the whole organisation.
- Review past sessions from the structured logs each procedure produces.
- Manage a fleet of devices — track which units are in service and ready.
- Support quality review and audit with a consistent record of activity.
The application supports supervision and quality review. It does not act on its own, and the device remains AI-guided and clinician-executed at all times.
Questions
Straight answers.
Who performs the insertion?
The trained clinician — always. VeinMate Assist images the vessel and highlights guidance, but the clinician confirms the target and carries out every cannulation or blood draw.
Is the device automated?
No. It is AI-guided and clinician-executed. The device is advisory: it never inserts, punctures, or retracts on its own. Every action at the patient is performed by the clinician.
How does it connect?
Over its own secure Wi-Fi link, with enough bandwidth for live imaging and for the structured session logs that feed the companion application.
Is the cartridge reusable?
No. The guide cartridge is a single-use, sterile consumable — one per procedure, then discarded. It is never re-used or re-sterilised.
Is it available to buy?
No. VeinMate Assist is an investigational device and is not approved for sale or clinical use.
“We designed VeinMate Assist around a simple principle: the clinician should always know more, and decide more, than the machine.”
— Forest Bloom engineering team
Partner with us
See VeinMate Assist in a briefing.
Investors, hospitals, and labs: request a briefing to see the device, the guidance, and the clinical workflow up close.
Request a briefing