Virtualware Health today announced the release of VirtualRehab 3.0, the first clinically validated therapeutic video game solution for Hand & Body therapy with CE approval. Designed for professional therapists who work with patients that suffer from severe neurological conditions, VirtualRehab 3.0 will help patients to improve balance and fine motor skills using clinically tested therapeutic games and motion capture technology powered by Microsoft's® Kinect Xbox One and Leap Motion®. VirtualRehab 3.0 is available now and will be on demo at Rehab Week in Valencia, Spain from June 9 to 12 at the International Conference of Virtual Rehabilitation (ICVR).
"We developed VirtualRehab 3.0 in close collaboration with leading neurologists and physiotherapists in Europe who wanted to offer individualized treatment for their patients in a simple and cost effective way," said Unai Extremo, CEO and founder of Virtualware Group. "By offering patients the flexibility to play in both a clinical setting or at home we can reach more people who need multiple therapy sessions a week but don’t have the time, resources or motivation to put in the exercise. Stroke patients for example are recommended to have up to 3 hours a day of therapy, a minimum of 5 days per week. As a result, the cost per hour of traditional treatment for extended rehabilitation can become restrictive and inaccessible. For more serious conditions, the need for rehabilitation is a lifetime requirement. We’ve already completed over 13,000 sessions and 1,300 hours of therapeutic game play and this is only the beginning."
Designed for supervised use with clinical professionals and therapists, the VirtualRehab 3.0 platform was created for patients who suffer from temporary to long-term neurological conditions including stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, peripheral neuropathies, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease and to help improve mobility in the elderly.
According to Dr. Manuel Murie, director of the Centro Neurológico de Atención Integral (C.N.A.I.), a specialized neurorehabilitation center in Pamplona, "We recently started using VirtualRehab to re-teach stroke patients how to coordinate small muscle movements in their hands and fingers, tasks controlled by the nervous system that are essential to day-to-day life. In only a short time our patients were more engaged and confident, the motivation they have is critical to their progress, with therapeutic games we are able to transform how they feel about therapy and it makes our day to day work more engaging."
Virtual Rehab 3.0 is a scalable solution designed for small clinics to large hospitals. It includes VirtualRehab BODY using the Kinect® Xbox One to work on balance and physical movement of the upper and lower extremities; and introduces the new VirtualRehab HANDS for games and exercises aimed at improving fine motor skills and dexterity of the hands. VirtualRehab HANDS comes complete with a Leap Motion® sensor to detect precision movements of the fingers and an ergonomic armrest for comfort. Virtual Rehab 3.0 includes a cloud-based software management tool to help health care providers keep track of patient progress. VirtualRehab is the first virtual reality rehabilitation platform to receive CE mark approval from the European Commission.
Demos of VirtualRehab 3.0 and Mind Play Games, an innovative solution that combines collaborative cognitive gaming applications on a 55” multitouch interactive table, by Virtualware's hardware division, Activa Media will be available at RehabWeek Booth # 17-18 and they will also be hosting the following workshop: Virtual Reality Game-Based Therapy with Motion Sensor Capture Devices on June 10 from 11:00 to 12:30 with notable speakers Dr. Nick Ward (UCL Queen Square) and Dr. Manuel Murie (CNAI).
About VirtualRehab®
VirtualRehab® is a tool designed by experts in neurorehabilitation that offers simulated physical rehabilitation training programs for patients with different degrees of physical disability. By using virtual environments in a videogame format combined with the Microsoft® Kinect®, the Microsoft® Azure® cloud platform and Leap Motion sensor, the patient can do physiotherapy exercises customized by their therapist both in the centre where they are being treated as well as do telerehabilitation in their own home. This technology allows the patient to be monitored remotely by their physiotherapist who evaluates their progress.
About Virtualware
Virtualware Group is a business group of technology companies that specialize in the development of hardware and software solutions based on immersive and interactive technologies. The company designs and creates high-tech value-added solutions, products and services for culture, education, training and health through offices in the United Kingdom, Spain, Latin America and the Middle East as well as through partners around the world. It is the only virtual rehabilitation manufacturer with CE Mark approval to develop both hardware and software for medical purposes.