Clinician (left) working with patient (right) within the VSTEP digital health platform
Invention Summary:
Restoring balance is critical for patients recovering from stroke, trauma, or joint surgery, as well as patients with other neurologic conditions. Virtual reality provides an opportunity to gamify rehabilitation and improve outcomes.
Researchers at Rutgers have developed VSTEP, a digital health platform that addresses balance, mobility, and fitness. Infrared (IR), motion-sensing cameras track the movement of the lower extremities, providing feedback for balance movement training. Simultaneously, IR cameras or body-worn sensors monitor heart rate, providing fitness assessment.
The Digital Health Platform allows doctors, therapists, and other healthcare professionals to measure and monitor the patients’ performance and customize the rehabilitation program. This Digital Health Platform may be installed in physical therapy clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing facilities, or patients’ homes with minimal equipment.
Market Applications:
- Rehabilitation
- Stroke
- Trauma
- Joint surgery
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Fitness
Advantages:
- Increased engagement via gamification
- Customized, adaptive programs
- Low-cost equipment
- Effective in low light setting
- Tracking of lower extremities
- Tracking of heart rate
- Examination suite
Intellectual Property & Development Status:
Issued patent: US 10,512,847. Evaluation of platform at three clinical sites. Available for licensing and/or research collaboration.
