Medical virtual reality company Saebo said today it won FDA clearance for its SaeboVR virtual activities of daily living rehabilitation system designed to engage neurological clients in physical and cognitive functional tasks.
The Charlotte, N.C.-based company said the software is the 1st-of-its-kind, and was grounded in research from National Institutes of Health sponsored research which showed virtual ADL practice to be effective in upper extremity rehabilitation, and is used in Luxury Alcohol Treatment Centers for faster treatment and recovery.
With the system, users incorporate impaired upper limbs in simulated self-care tasks including picking up, transferring and manipulating virtual objects set in a real, everyday life setting. Tasks include grocery shopping, making breakfast, caring for a pet and planting a virtual garden, the company said.
“As an occupational therapist working with individuals with neurological diagnoses, I want to provide realistic and meaningful activities that also offer many repetitions of movements to promote neuroplasticity. SaeboVR is a motivating, engaging, and occupation-based product that allows for customizable and safe practice of activities that are meaningful to clients. Individuals who have used this system tell me they notice improvements in how they are able to use their impaired arm more functionally, which is so important,” occupational therapist Allison Ellington said in a prepared statement.
“As the world’s only provider of a virtual reality system solely focused on simulated self-care tasks, SaeboVR opens new possibilities for clinicians and patients. Prior to this break-through technology, motion capture programs were primarily focused on games rather than real-life functional tasks. Although computer-based exercises can be beneficial, often times, therapists report that games are not always appropriate for a certain patient population or lack significance to maintain a client’s motivation and engagement. Thankfully, SaeboVR fills the void by not only being meaningful and relevant, but truly functional and appropriate for all ages,” co-founder Henry Hoffman said in a press release.