Stumbling VR finds a second home in rehab - Medical Device Network

Virtual world (VR) has ever seemed similar an reply looking for a problem. This was ne'er clearer than with Meta’s caller metaverse stumble, which outgo the institution implicit 2 thirds of its banal valuation astatine the clip of writing. For a exertion that has ever seemed focused connected its imaginable arsenic a gaming device, it seems similar it whitethorn beryllium doomed to disappoint. However, with Penumbra’s caller announcement of its Virtual Reality REAL-y platform, VR whitethorn find a 2nd upwind successful the rehabilitation segment…with video games.

Last Tuesday, Penumbra announced the world’s archetypal wholly hands-free and untethered VR rehab solution, with afloat assemblage rehabilitation capabilities. GlobalData estimates that determination are astir 52 cardinal imaginable rehab patients successful the US, which means that VR exertion has a ample diligent colonisation to turn to accommodate. Furthermore, GlobalData expects the VR marketplace to turn to a heady $80 cardinal by 2030. If the REAL-y level is capable to beryllium its worth, Penumbra could snag a ample portion of this market. But however does it work? Penumbra enforcement VP and GM Gita Barry was quoted arsenic saying: “Two of the largest challenges successful rehabilitation are maintaining diligent information and deficiency of engagement.” By ‘gamifying’ therapy, it is thought that patients are much apt to beryllium engaged and implicit their exercises.

Whether oregon not this gamble pays disconnected inactive remains to beryllium seen, arsenic the marketplace does not yet person a afloat developed hardware and bundle ecosystem to enactment the REAL-y system. Things look promising, however; should the REAL-y strategy beryllium that it is capable to flooded the engagement and information problems that person plagued the tract of physiotherapy, it whitethorn statesman to spot a batch of engagement. Another important question is the reimbursement presumption of these devices. In the US, reimbursement powerfully controls whether oregon not a instrumentality is taken up by the healthcare industry, arsenic it greatly cuts the outgo to the client. To unafraid reimbursement, Penumbra volition person to beryllium the worthy of its device.

However, GlobalData believes that determination are respective tailwinds that Penumbra and the greater ‘VR arsenic a rehabilitation tool’ marketplace volition enjoy. The proportionality of aged radical is ever growing, and with it, the request for rehabilitation. As these patients besides thin to beryllium wealthier than their younger counterparts, the rehabilitation manufacture tin expect to spot an influx of affluent patients successful decades to come. Furthermore, the increasing acceptance of bundle and devices arsenic aesculapian devices means that these devices are commonplace. This whitethorn bolster the FDA’s likelihood of approving them for reimbursement status, arsenic happened with telehealth devices during the Covid-19 pandemic.