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BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) – Dr. Jose Ortiz counted the minutes he spent in the back of an ambulance that carried him from Red Lodge to Billings. Timely treatment is imperative to save a person’s life or quality of life during a stroke. And Ortiz had at least 60 minutes to drive before he was hospitalized.
His medical school education and more than 20 years of family medicine practice may have given him an edge in quickly identifying stroke symptoms, but by the time he got to Billings Clinic his entire left side was limp. Ortiz eventually began therapy. Montana Rehabilitation Hospital (RHOM) at Billings.
Now, nearly three months later, the only visible sign of the event is a slight drop in his left-hand smile.
every patient RHOM He is expected to complete three hours of rigorous therapy a day. To color the tiring repetitions, RHOM The Billings Gazette has partnered with technology companies Penumbra and BIONIK Labs to integrate virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) into patient care.
RHOM It is the first and only facility in Montana to use this technology.
“(Rehabilitation) is probably the last frontier for medical robotics,” said Loren Wass, chief commercial officer of BIONIK Labs.
Wass said BIONIK Labs has built the InMotion ARM, which uses robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML) to help patients work on upper extremity rehabilitation when they have a neurological condition such as paralysis.
The patient is sitting in front of a monitor and his forearm is connected to the device. Guided by the on-screen games, the patient holds one arm and moves the arm back and forth, forcing them to do more repetitions.
AI and ML allow the device to collect data and adapt to the needs of the patient. The machine generates progress reports, makes treatment recommendations, and can follow protocol-based treatments.
In a classic therapy session, the patient completes approximately 30 to 60 movements per hour, while BIONIK’s InMotion ARM devices perform 600 to 1,000 movements in the same time.
While the BIONIK Labs device isn’t something you can see in your living room, virtual reality tools are. The REAL y-Series is a comprehensive VR rehabilitation tool that helps distract the patient from thoughts or feelings that are discouraging or limiting, said Jen Graves. RHOM CEO.
Similar to Oculus, the REAL y-Series headset fits right on the eye to immerse the wearer in a whole new environment.
The sensor straps are then attached to the hands, upper arms and shoulders and back to create a patient-like body in the VR world.
Indulging in a carnival-themed game of pinball, patients reach out to hit the balls that come their way. The game tests shoulder range of motion, including flexion and extension, reactive movement, core control, motor skills, and vision as you enter an environment of high stimulation that distracts from physical pain or fatigue.
In another setting, the patient finds himself behind a delicatessen counter. On one side they see an order for a sandwich and on the other side there are all the ingredients needed to make the sandwich. The game focuses on sequencing and memory work, object recognition, shoulder and cervical range of motion, and coordination.
Penumbra occupational therapist Jessica Hauert is trained to select activities specific to the patient’s needs and monitors the patient’s progress from a handheld tablet.
Hauert finds that many older patients are familiar with things like tablets and VR through their families and are eager to try it out in therapy.
“Patients often work harder because when they’re taken to another world… they forget they’re really working hard. “They’re reaching higher and working a lot harder than they’re having fun,” said Jennifer Wong, vice president of market development with Immersive Healthcare at Penumbra.
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