The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted clearance to commercialise Saebo’s virtual activities of daily living (ADL) rehabilitation system, SaeboVR.
The new system uses simulated functional tasks to engage neurological patients in physical and cognitive activities.
Based on a research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), SaeboVR presents real-life challenges for virtual ADL practice to enable rehabilitation of the upper limb.
The platform requires incorporation of impaired upper limb for performing simulated self-care tasks such as pick up, transfer and manipulation of virtual objects, as well as to recreate everyday activities, including grocery shopping, breakfast preparation, pet care or planting a virtual garden.
Saebo co-founder Henry Hoffman said: "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 breakthrough technology, motion capture programmes were primarily focused on games rather than real-life functional tasks.”
“Although computer-based exercises can be beneficial, often at 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.”
To provide information and real-time feedback to the users, SaeboVR employs a virtual assistant that appears on the screen, while graphic reports are displayed after every session for easy viewing.
The system also facilitates customisation for preferred endurance, speed, range of motion, coordination, timing and cognitive demand.
Image: SaeboVR is the world's first virtual ADL rehabilitation system. Photo: courtesy of PRNewsfoto/Saebo Inc.
