Samsung Electronics is planning to co-develop rehabilitation and pain treatment technologies using virtual reality (VR) with global businesses and it is going to verify effects of these technologies by applying them actual patients in the U.S. It will be interesting whether these technologies will show possibilities of using VR as digital medicine.
According to industries on the 12th, Samsung Electronics is going to test effects of ‘digital pain-reduction kit’ using Gear VR and Gear Fit. Samsung Electronics America joined hands with an American insurance company called Travelers, global pharmaceutical company called Bayer, Cedars-Sinai, and appliedVR. They are going to study effects of VR treatment on orthopedics patients who fractured their backs or arms or legs.
It is heard that this kit is combined with VR and wearable devices and low frequency treatment and it has a function to help mental state of patients and to alleviate pain rather than using drugs.
For example, it provides relaxed environment to patients who are suffering for chronic pain due to fracture and stabilizes their mental states and it uses low frequency treatment rather than drugs for patients with pain. Wearable devices are used to understand their states in real-time.
Cedars-Sinai Hospital is going to carry out studies on about 140 patients from different ages. It is planning to observe how less of drugs is used for these patients compared to normal patients.
It is expected that there will be various economic and medical effects when this technology is commercialized. It can also reduce medical fees as it will induce lower use of drugs and help patients who require long-term treatments to avoid abuse of painkillers and narcotic analgesic and addiction of drugs.
Previously, Samsung Electronics carried out campaigns for overcoming fears such as acrophobia and sociophobia by using VR in Europe and 7 countries in the Middle East. Participants faced their fears using VR and had treatments done on them at the same time and saw huge effects from these campaigns.
Bundang Cha Hospital in South Korea is going to utilize VR for rehabilitation and help patients with impaired mobility to move their arms and legs in virtual space.
“Reason why VR technologies are drawing so much attention from medical industries is because they surpass limitations of space time.” said a representative for an industry. “They can maximize effects of treatments by providing optimal environment for patients and they can also provide fun elements to rehabilitation treatments that can seem boring.”
Staff Reporter Kwon, Keonho | wingh1@etnews.com