The Top 7 Virtual Reality Digital Health Companies

February 27, 2018 Digital Health, Orthopedics, Simulation, Virtual Reality

Virtual reality in medicine is certainly a hot trend at the moment, with the global market for VR in healthcare expected to reach 3.8 billion by 2020. Dr. Justin Barad, orthopedic surgeon and Founder and CEO of startup Osso VR, thinks that virtual reality offers an approach to surgical training that the antiquated method of apprenticeship simply cannot. He summarizes the impact of immersive technology in medicine: “Virtual Reality is a unique technology that has a wide variety of disruptive medical applications. The qualities that makes VR so special are: its immersive quality and sense of presence, neuromodulatory and therapeutic potential, and ability for effective “teleportation.” Early studies have shown incredible potential for this technology, and the future looks bright.”

Brandon Birckhead, MD, a radiation oncologist who focuses his research on immersive technology, firmly believes in the power of investing in VR in healthcare technology. He says,

“If it was not for the investment in technology in the early 2000s, there would not be over 18 different uses of medical VR in clinical trials today. More investments in medical VR technology will lead to a similar surge in progress within augmented reality and the mainstream adoption of VR by healthcare systems of tomorrow.”

Here are the US top 7 startups using Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality to improve healthcare:

1. Syncthink

Syncthink, located in Palo Alto, California raised a $3,500,000 Series A on January 18, 2018. The company, founded in 2009 by Dr. Jam Ghajar, has developed a fully-integrated VR device used for eye-tracking called EYE-SYNC. It is head-mounted and uses its technology to determine ocular-motor impairments that can arise because of concussions or sleep-deprivation.

2. Meridiun

Meridiun raised $2,500,000 in seed funding on December 15, 2017. The startup located in Irvine, California has created a mobile application called AR+. The mobile application runs on smartphone and tablet, and allows clinicians to deploy simulated medical content through audio, video, 3D imagery, and training. As the user looks through their mobile camera, the screen displays augmented reality such that key information appears on their screen.

By Leah D’Sa | MEDTECH BOSTON

Image Credit: Osso VR

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About Peter Coffaro 524 Articles

A growth-driven and strategic executive, Peter Coffaro commands more than 20 years of progressive management success within the medical device industry. As a District Sales Manager for Stryker Orthopaedics, Peter was responsible for managing and directing a regional sales force to achieve sales and profit goals within the Rocky Mountain region. Previously, he was the Director of Sales & Marketing for Amp Orthopedics. In this role, Peter was responsible for planning, developing, and leading all sales and marketing initiatives. Peter is a former orthopedic distributor in the Pacific Northwest. He has also worked with DePuy Orthopaedics as well as Zimmer, and held positions in sales, sales training, and sales management. Peter has an extensive background in organizational development, business development, sales management, negotiating and P&L management. Peter holds a B.S. degree in Biology from Northern Illinois University.