Tech & industry
“Sat on elephant. Swam on turtle. Dancing in Tardis.”
While this may sound like something from a particularly crazy dream, for stroke survivors, this is a reality - or rather virtual reality - which is delivering measurable benefits to their recovery.
Through accessing EVA Park, the world’s first multi-user online world, people with aphasia across the globe are being given unique opportunities to re-learn and practice their speech, while also developing social connections and confidence. So while social interactions and venturing out to the shops may seem a daunting prospect in everyday life, in EVA Park, users can enjoy a carefree trip to the hairdresser, bar or disco, or even go dancing in the Tardis, should they wish.
Two pioneering robotics companies have formed a global partnership to develop new digital rehabilitation solutions.
HumanXR and Fourier Intelligence will work together to accelerate digitisation for advanced rehabilitation, integrating immersive virtual experiences in state-of-the-art rehabilitation robotics. The venture comes as the role technology can play in rehabilitation is more widely recognised than ever before, through the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic which has resulted in a significant shift to the use of telerehab and digital.
Merryn Dowson, of rehab goal-setting platform Goal Manager, on why the virtual conference should endure long after COVID-19’s limitations are gone.
Just in case you hadn’t noticed, the last year has been a little bit different from previous years and by ‘different’ I, of course, mean ‘online’.
Conferences have been no exception. Instead of arriving at a large hall, picking up the first of the day’s seven coffees and scanning the room for the best pens on offer, we are finishing off our morning routines and setting our out-of-office email only to sit in the same chair and log in to an online virtual conference.
In March we may have hoped that these conferences would actually happen in person and that the world would quickly get back on its axis but we soon realised that this would not be the case.
We were to access it all from our computers, perched wherever we can manage in our homes.
In August, I had my first taste of this unprecedented, socially- distanced, new-normal approach to conferences by logging on to that of the American Psychological Association (APA).
How new technology could revolutionise the way patients self-report their symptoms - improving outcomes and research capabilities in neuro-rehab and other fields.
‘Patient-centred’ has become a well-worn phrase in neuro-rehab in recent years. In fact, so often is it mentioned by care and therapy providers, that it is starting to mean different things to different people, running the risk of becoming meaningless.
Of course, in healthcare the patient should, indeed, be at the heart of everything. If self-report mechanisms are flawed, however, can we really say that this is the case?
Soothing sounds and relaxing vibrations are incorporated into the innovative inmu sound cushion, activating the senses of people with brain injuries.
The human body responds to music. What feels like a healing sound to some can be unbearable noise to others. After suffering brain injuries or a stroke, music and sounds can put tremendous strain on patients. In such cases, even something as subtle as a birdsong can become intolerable.
Medicotech has a unique approach to neuro-rehab which puts the patient at its heart and provides a seamless experience for professionals.
With a vast range of neuro-rehab applications available, rehab centres and units often find themselves sourcing equipment from various providers.
Medicotech is addressing the often-disjointed nature of neuro-rehab this can cause, by providing a seamless approach.The company offers “the complete solution for rehabilitation”, with a piece of equipment suitable for every stage of the rehabilitation process, from the most acute stages right through to discharge.
Patients may start their rehabilitation journey with a recently-launched piece of equipment called the bemo, designed by THERA-Trainer.
NR Times invited three experts for a virtual discussion on the changing role of technology in rehab after brain injury.
Neuro-rehab specialists Anna Wilkinson and Rebecca Bancroft, of physiotherapy provider More Rehab, are joined by Louise Jenkins, partner and serious injury specialist at Irwin Mitchell.
Anna Wilkinson (AW): Using tech gives us a different way of rehabilitating someone; it keeps patients attentive, keeps them concentrated and keeps them motivated to reach their goals.
Technology group Fourier Intelligence has signed a global partnership with a Canadian institution which aims to advance research and development in rehab robotics.
Fourier has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the KITE Research Institute at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute - University Health Network (UHN). The agreement will enable the expansion of KITE’s robotics research and education capabilities; including through the establishment of a “world-class” rehab robotics centre, underpinned by Fourier’s next-gen RehabHub platform and support from its network of researchers. KITE is a world leader in complex rehabilitation science and is dedicated to improving the lives of people living with the effects of disability, illness and ageing.
MOJO (Moments of Joy) is a new dementia portal and app connecting everybody involved in the care of a loved one.
The MOJO platform aims to share the load, reduce stress and uncover more crucial opportunities for moments of joy. MOJO launched the #MomentsOfJoy movement last week, which aims to raise awareness of people affected by dementia, both directly and indirectly. Dementia is the biggest cause of death in the UK today, with over 850,000 currently diagnosed cases. Unlike many other illnesses however, it is the wider family who often bear the burden of primary care, and there has been very little support available for them during this incredibly challenging journey. MOJO aims to change this with a combination of accessible technical innovation, helpful online resources and real-time support workshops.
Fourier Intelligence has completed its Series C financing round led by Vision Plus Capital, a venture capital fund focusing in digital healthcare and deep tech.
Qianhai FOF, one of Fourier Intelligence’s current shareholder, co-invested in this round too.
This new round of funds will be mainly invested to further expand Fourier Intelligence’s already impressive product line, to enhance its fully integrated intelligent rehabilitation robotic system, known as the Fourier Intelligence RehabHub Concept.
“The intelligent rehabilitation has been possible since the advent of the digital and intelligence era. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the developing trend of the rehabilitation field while the viability of Fourier’s business model has been verified,” says Fourier Intelligence’s founder, group CEO and executive chairman Alex Gu.
