A global medical device company Penumbra is partnering with the Veterans Health Administration’s Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning to test, co-create, and develop virtual reality-based rehabilitative healthcare solutions for veterans.
During the three-year collaboration, the partners will focus on creating therapy software and programs for veterans, including immersive experiences that can be used for remote therapeutic rehabilitation using Penumbra’s REAL y-Series platform for physical and cognitive rehabilitation. Recommendations will primarily focus on neurorehabilitation and chronic condition management.
“This collaboration between VHA and Penumbra is exciting because it is multifaceted; we are co-developing targeted tools to support rehabilitation, chronic conditions and other special needs of veterans, and we are helping to scale and potentially provide wider access to this technology. that veterans can get the care they need, wherever they are,” MobiHealthNews said in an email.
THE BIGGER TREND
The publicly traded company expanded its portfolio to include virtual reality offerings through its REAL Immersive System in 2019.
Two years later, it launched its REAL i-Series, which provides immersive, gaze-based experiences to care providers and mental health professionals. In 2022, the company launched its y-Series, focusing on physical and cognitive rehabilitation.
in October Adam Elsesser, CEO of Penumbra, told MobiHealthNews that the company plans to create remote recovery tools.
“Therapists are amazing, and eventually we’ll have a home version that the therapist can manage as well, where you can do the experience remotely, but also then the therapist can give people homework that’s supervised by them. So it’s not like they’re just putting it on and playing, but they’re doing the exercises that the therapists can look at and see the data around your movement. It’s all recorded. It’s a very health-focused tool,” Elsesser said.
Another company using immersive technology to provide rehab is a Texas startup Neuro Rehab VR, whose XR therapy system helps therapists through virtual reality and immersive worlds.
Scott McKeithen, Marlin Welsh, and Charles Bashnagel will provide more details during the HIMSS23 “Readiness for Digital Biosurveillance” session. It is scheduled for Thursday, April 20th from 4-5pm in the CT South Building, Level 5, Room S501.