Vasodilation assembly

A vasodilation assembly for facilitating intravenous cannulation, the vasodilation assembly comprising:

• (i) a flexible plastics sleeve;
• (ii) a heated air supply;
• and
• (iii) a conduit for conveying heated air from the heated air supply into the flexible plastics sleeve;
• wherein the flexible plastics sleeve is of a double-walled construction comprising inner and outer sleeve layers forming an annular space between the inner and outer sleeve layers;
• wherein the flexible plastics sleeve comprises an air inlet opening at a distal end of the flexible plastics sleeve for coupling the annular space to the conduit, and an appendage opening at a proximal end of the flexible plastics sleeve opposite the distal end for accepting an appendage of a patient within a compartment defined by the inner sleeve layer;
• and
• wherein the annular space defines an annular passage comprising two annular segments for a flow of heated air between the air inlet opening and an air exit opening provided in each annular segment, each air exit opening being provided in the outer sleeve layer proximate the proximal end of the flexible plastics sleeve;
• and
• wherein the flexible plastics sleeve is sealed along longitudinal edges thereof so as to fasten the inner and outer sleeve layers together and define the two annular segments between the inner sleeve layer and the outer sleeve layer.