VR in the Digital Therapeutics Industry

Vijay Ravindran for Mouser Electronics

(Source: Seventyfour - stock.adobe.com)

Digital therapeutics refers to evidence-based interventions delivered through software or digital platforms to prevent, manage, or treat medical conditions. These solutions often complement or substitute traditional medical treatments, using technology to deliver personalized, engaging, and interactive patient experiences. One of the key technologies driving digital therapeutics forward is virtual reality (VR), which offers unparalleled opportunities to treat mental health disorders, reduce pain perception, and alleviate discomfort and anxiety. In this article, we’ll explain the key use cases for VR in digital therapeutics, highlighting Floreo’s research-based VR therapy for the neurodiverse. We’ll then take a closer look at the hardware enabling the technology as well as advancements that will expand its future potential.

Primary Use Cases of VR in Digital Therapeutics

The versatility of VR in digital therapeutics opens vast possibilities for personalized, engaging, and effective treatments that improve patient outcomes and overall healthcare experiences. VR enables a repeatable practice environment that is immersive and can create a unique teaching medium for the real world. With that in mind, some of the prominent use cases include the following:

• Social Skills Training: Individuals with social disorders or autism spectrum disorders can practice social interactions through VR scenarios, enhancing their social skills.
• Behavior Modification: VR assists in behavior modification and addiction therapy by recreating triggering situations and teaching coping strategies.
• Exposure Therapy: VR enables exposure therapy for anxiety disorders, phobias, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Patients can safely confront their fears in realistic simulations, leading to desensitization and improved coping mechanisms.
• Pain Management: VR can distract patients from pain during medical procedures or as a result of chronic conditions by immersing them in calming and engaging virtual environments.
• Cognitive Training: VR-based cognitive training helps individuals with cognitive impairments improve memory, attention, and problem-solving skills through stimulating activities.

Some digital therapeutics companies deliver these treatments in a home-based or self-administered fashion for the patient. Other companies use the technology to augment traditional therapy or treatments. Potential use cases and applications extend further because these VR systems can be delivered remotely, enabling therapists to augment their services beyond the confines of video conferencing and, most importantly, create more effective treatments.

Floreo’s VR Therapy Platform

Floreo provides an excellent example of VR’s potential in digital therapeutics, focusing on the needs of the neurodiverse—those with conditions such as autism, ADHD, and anxiety. Floreo invested a considerable amount of research into these therapeutics and has shown that VR can help both children and adults receive treatment safely and obtain new skills. Moreover, Floreo demonstrated efficacy in building their digital product in a manner that can be integrated into the healthcare ecosystem.

The Floreo VR platform augments therapy sessions, with the neurodiverse learner wearing a VR headset and working through clinically designed animated scenes to help them develop specific skills. The system is then networked so the therapist or adult working with the patient has a synchronous live view of what they’re seeing in VR and is able to manipulate characters, record data, and personalize the experience. Another great advantage of the platform is that it can be delivered remotely or over telehealth, expanding its reach and effectiveness. Ultimately, by developing solutions collaboratively with clinicians, therapists, engineers, and neurodiverse people, Floreo has been able to create safe, supportive digital spaces for neurodiverse learners to practice critical skills and thrive.

Key Hardware in VR Systems for Digital Therapeutics

Hardware is essential in driving VR systems for digital therapeutics; it works in tandem with software to create immersive and interactive experiences. The hardware enables users to engage with the virtual environment, while the software provides tailored therapeutic applications, simulations, and interventions. Some of the key hardware solutions for VR in digital therapeutics include the following:

• Gaming Engines: The 3D gaming engine is the critical linchpin of VR development. Many digital therapy sessions are developed using the Unity 3D gaming engine, which enables developers and animators to build experiences based on the direction of clinical teams.
• Headsets: While these vary drastically in sophistication, VR experiences can be deployed to smartphones, which can be turned into simplified yet affordable VR devices using the likes of the Google Cardboard headset. Alternatively, standalone VR headsets, such as the Meta Quest Pro, can be used to deliver superior graphics, interactivity, and a more immersive experience.
• Motion Controllers: This hardware uses built-in sensors to track users’ hand movements and gestures and then transmit real-time data to the VR system. This enables immersive and interactive experiences in which users can manipulate objects, perform exercises, and engage in activities in the virtual world.
• Sensors and Trackers: Using infrared, optical, or electromagnetic technologies, sensors and trackers detect and record users’ movements and positions. These data are then processed by the VR system, providing vital information for assessing progress and adjusting treatment plans.
• Haptic Feedback Devices: These devices use tactile vibrations or sensations to give users a sense of touch in virtual environments. Haptic feedback devices can be integrated into VR controllers or vests, responding to virtual interactions, enhancing immersion, and delivering sensory cues that complement therapeutic experiences.

Of course, while much hardware is available, it’s not always appropriate for all digital therapeutics applications. In the case of Floreo VR, a platform designed to teach behavioral regulation and life skills to the neurodiverse, users have a varied set of skills. This makes creating a simplified experience that can be easily adopted paramount.

Challenges of VR in Digital Therapeutics

While VR holds great promise in digital therapeutics, it also faces several challenges that must be addressed for widespread adoption and success. As we’ve discussed, VR technology adds complexity to digital therapy, and it also adds significant cost. High-quality VR hardware and software are expensive, limiting accessibility for patients and healthcare providers alike. Reducing the cost of VR systems is essential to making them more widely available.

Other challenges relate to the practicalities of the hardware itself. Existing VR headsets are heavy and cumbersome, especially for younger patients. VR solutions need to become lighter and more convenient for all users. With regard to practicalities, user training is another important consideration. When not overseen by or working with healthcare professionals, users need to be educated on how to navigate VR environments and leverage therapeutic applications for successful implementation. This is primarily why smartphone-based VR systems are used; they may be simple and low-tech with limited graphics quality, but they are very accessible. People readily know how to use smartphones; all they have to do is log in to an app, select stereoscopic VR mode, and place the phone in the cardboard or plastic headset. This technology is also capable of working in environments without Wi-Fi or broadband because it can be 5G enabled, which opens access to more treatment scenarios.

Despite these challenges, ongoing research, development, and collaboration between technology developers, clinicians, and researchers offer promising solutions. Overcoming these hurdles can unlock the full potential of VR in digital therapeutics, thereby revolutionizing patient care and transforming the healthcare landscape.

New Developments in VR Hardware for Digital Therapeutics

As technology developers and researchers continue to deliver the full potential of digital therapeutics, many new developments are in the pipeline. Some of the most promising include the following:

• Biometric Feedback: Biometric monitors, such as heart rate monitors, measure a user’s physiological response, enabling therapists to assess stress levels and emotional states and tailor interventions accordingly.
• Retinal Eye-Level Tracking: Integrating eye sensors into VR headsets can allow for better analysis of a user’s gaze and attention, providing valuable insights into the user’s emotional state and engagement during therapy sessions. These types of passive inputs can be leveraged both to personalize content and understand the best treatment for the individual.
• Next-Generation VR Headsets: While the Meta Quest Pro already has some exciting features included, everyone is waiting for Apple’s entry into the market. The Apple Vision Pro is due to deliver a sophisticated array of audio and visual sensors to provide both health biomarker data and predictive behavior response. The camera can work in the dark, the sensors simultaneously track environment, position, and movement, pupil tracking capabilities can predict responses and behavior in real time, and accelerometers and gyroscopes are integrated.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration: Creating 3D content is expensive; however, the opportunities for generative AI to create new content could decrease the cost of development radically and create better learning environments that require less supervision.
• Advanced Multiplayer VR Technology: Advancements in multiplayer VR technology could lead to collaborative therapy sessions where patients and therapists can interact with each other within a shared virtual space.

The opportunities for the next generation of VR hardware will be twofold. It will deliver plenty of data that will help to improve the VR systems themselves. But more importantly, this data can be used in real time to modify content and improve the user experience. Ultimately, more data inputs enable better treatments in real time. In this way, all these advancements hold great promise. While an advancement such as the Apple Vision Pro will initially be at a price point that’s unreachable for most, it will guide the way for both what the hardware should be doing and how to integrate hardware and software in a manner that’s very accessible to a wider population. More than just a sophisticated piece of technology, the Apple Vision Pro is set to be a comprehensive health monitoring and predictive behavior tool.

Conclusion

The future of VR in digital therapeutics holds immense potential. Advanced VR hardware and software will offer increasingly immersive and realistic therapeutic experiences. Customizable environments will cater to individual needs, enabling personalized interventions. Meanwhile, AI integration will provide adaptive therapy, continuously tailoring treatments based on patient responses and progress, while biometric sensors will measure physiological reactions, offering valuable insights into emotional states. Moreover, the Floreo VR platform’s addition of heart rate monitoring, face tracking, and retina-level eye tracking represent advancements that will enable improved treatments in real time. As we move forward, VR therapy will become more accessible, reaching a wider audience through wireless and standalone systems. Ultimately, all of this contributes to enhancing treatment efficacy and transforming the way healthcare is delivered.