XIII Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2021

Virtual Reality (VR) — artificial world (objects and subjects) what is created using technical devices. The main role of VR is influence on the basic human’s senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and others. In contrast to physical reality, where our environment makes our organs see and feel the things, what surround us, virtuality – is a close communication between material and technical processes and the human psychic.

First serious developments in the area of VR were beginning in 1960th , in 1990th Sega, Nintendo and other companies released the first user’s models of VR-helmets. Technology wasn’t commercially successful and people forgot about it for some time, because it was really big and uncomfortable and their computing power was very low. VR was recalled only in 2010th with preview of Oculus VR. Later a lot of big companies like Samsung, Sony, HTC joined competitive race. Lately different special VR headsets, controllers, gloves, weapons (for playing shooters) and special treadmills have been created. Analysts predict how VR will capture the world of entertainment. But even now this technology isn’t being used just for fun.

Train surgeons and remote surgery

All surgeons have to start somewhere, but who wants to deal with a beginning surgeon? Goggles of virtual reality partly help to solve the problem. Engineers in Canada have designed a simulator for neurosurgeons – NeuroVR. It’s an installation with a screen, manipulators, feedback, and 30 educational programs . Doctor can see three - dimensional image of the brain and can «operate» on it, using a lot of different tools.

Broadcasting with virtual reality allows a more experienced surgeon to be involved to operation - so he can help beginners. It’s not important, that doctor is thousands miles away from the hospital. He can remotely control mechanical hand and see a patient on the surgical table in front of him.

VR can take teaching and studying in medicine to a whole new level. Nowadays only some students can see all what surgeon doing in the operation, and learn something new by this method. Camera with VR gives all doctors and students a chance to actually be in the operation room in their goggles of VR or to use it.

Not long ago, Harvard Business Review’s research showed that the students, who were trained by VR program, have 230% performance boost compared to other colleagues . The first ones were faster and more accurate while doing surgical procedures.

These examples show us that VR really helps doctors in studying and practicing. Let’s see how VR is used in healing and how it can make life of patients easier

Treatment of eye diseases

Modern goggles of VR are binocular. They show different images for each eye and our brain unites them. Programmer James Blaha thought, that people can treat amblyopia (in simple terms – “lazy eye”) by this method. Blaha has strabismus, so his brain stopped getting signals from left eye. The doctors didn't give him a chance, so in the childhood he decided to help himself. Firstly Blaha designed installation with two projectors and glasses with polarized filters, tilted by some degree, but the components would be too expensive. But soon Oculus Rift which the of costs $300was created. After that, developer started to create a game Diplopia (he renamed it Vivid Vision later). Its essence is simple: you’re playing in arkanoid game, but the picture for a damaged eye is somehow darker than for a healthy one. So the eye with poor eyesight should regulate itself and if fact it does more job. The games are used in different hospitals, but "Vivid vision" still needs clinical testing.

Treatment autism with virtual reality

VR also proved effective in treatment of people with autism. Research contacted at the Newcastle University was very successful, because it allowed people with autism to visualize certain situations with technology of VR, without an attempt to use their imagination, because it’s really hard for them. It gives parents an opportunity to see how their child works with a psychotherapist, and to chose methods which help them in really difficult situation.

As phobias and social anxieties become more common, current and developing medicine apps of VR can help to do cure more available and successful.

Speeding up recovery in physical therapy

For patients, having stroke or traumatic brain accident time has critical meaning. The earlier they start rehabilitation, the more chances to restore their lost functions they have.

Neuro-rehabilitation VR – is the introducing gamified processes in physical therapy for these patients. Companies develop VR-training apps with mechanical studying, working with doctors and therapists to adapt every exercise to the therapeutic needs of patients. The purpose is to do physiotherapy more enjoyable and to increase the patient's participation.

These methods proved to be effective. In the research, published last November, scientists found that children with cerebral paralysis felt really big improvement in their mobility after VR therapy. Authors of this research call to add this method to traditional techniques of rehabilitation to improve results.

Conclusion

Apps of virtual reality are one of most advanced and innovative technologies nowadays. The potential for medical application is large and further usage of this technology allows doctors and patients do more accurate and more informed medical decisions. It can improve medical help and quality of our life. So everybody who creates different apps can take part in development application of VR, which help people with this deceases, seemingly unsolvable today.

https://www.neurorehabvr.com/

https://medicalfuturist.com/5-ways-medical-vr-is-changing-healthcare/