Virtual Reality Technology is Transforming the World of Medicine

VR Pain Management Therapy:

Dr. Hunter Hoffman, a pain expert at the University of Washington, Seattle, has stated that virtual reality devices have worked wonders for patients recovering from severe burns. While undergoing painful wound care, the patients wearing the immersive glasses entered into a computer-generated world. When in the virtual reality environment, dramatic reductions were found in pain-related brain activity, compared to when they were not.

Susan Schneider, a specialist in cancer care at the Duke University Medical School, North Carolina, has found that the use of video headsets seems to take patient's minds off the fear and anxiety surrounding chemotherapy, allowing them to escape for a while from the reality of cancer care. In a medical support program for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, VR glasses are being used to simulate peaceful virtual environments. In the virtual space, the patients feel as if they are outside the hospital and problems such as insomnia and unrest are greatly diminished.

Steven Palter M.D., assistant professor and clinic chief of reproductive medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale School of Medicine, said that VR headsets were being used by women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) under local anesthetic. His study has shown that women who wore a virtual reality headset during a painful surgical procedure for infertility found the soothing scenes and music greatly reduced their anxiety and discomfort.

In tests conducted at Children's Hospital of Oklahoma, while undergoing lumbar punctures, adolescent cancer patients who wore VR glasses and watched a video said the VR glasses helped to distract them from the procedures. Subjects rated their pain as being lower when using VR glasses.

VR Rehabilitation Therapy:

At the University of Washington, Virtual Reality Technology is being used to treat Parkinson's Disease patients where the ability to walk has become progressively restricted. Head worn video glasses displaying a televised image help the patients overcome the halting, hesitant gait that characterizes the disease. The glasses project a track of objects, such as yellow blocks, at stride-spaced intervals. When wearers practice stepping across the virtual tracks, normal stride length may be achieved and in some cases even running may be enabled.

At the University of Kansas Medical Center, the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science facility is using an i-glasses PC/SVGA in their research lab. The head worn display provides an immersive virtual world for subjects to interact with. Because of their lightweight (less than 7 ounces) design, the glasses are may be worn comfortably by anyone, especially weak patients.

		i-glasses PC/SVGA A502085	click for more info
	price:$999.00 These Computer Monitor Glasses connect to Desktop PCs, Laptops and even some popular PDAs. Lightweight, comfortable and fully adjustable, the glasses are perfect for Gaming or VR applications.

		i-glasses PC/SVGA Pro 3D A502088	click for more info
	price:$1,299.00 Connect to common PC sources with these Computer Monitor Glasses. State-of-the-Art circuitry supports Stereoscopic 3D Computer Imaging. Perfect for advanced VR applications or Gaming.