XR Therapeutics: New VR platform for accessible treatment of phobias and anxiety

**公共描述**XR治疗公司是一家初创公司，从纽卡斯尔大学剥离出来，基于9年多的临床和学术研究。我们的服务结合了传统的CBT(认知行为疗法)和逐渐暴露疗法，以治疗恐惧症和特定情况下的焦虑。我们的解决方案在完全身临其境的环境中使用VR(虚拟现实)技术交付。这种独特的治疗方法可以由治疗师通过平板电脑实时调整，因为我们与临床医生和最终用户一起工作，根据接受者的需求定制场景。在患者观察到明显的影响之前，对个人实施传统的CBT可能需要12到20个疗程。我们的治疗可以在两周内将这一过程缩短到4个疗程，而当治疗恐惧症时，只需1个疗程就可以实现这一点。XR治疗公司正在商业化提供VR支持的疗法。这意味着我们已经与私人健康保险公司、治疗师和主要的NHS信托基金建立了商业关系，为我们提供了一条通往市场的明确途径，以获得扩展的解决方案。这是一个为期18个月的项目，将利用收到的资金，使我们的干预措施能够通过设备不可知的平台远程访问。我们将通过开发我们已经验证的治疗模式来实现这一点，以适合在Metverse环境中通过耳机和其他设备提供治疗，从而实现治疗师和患者之间的互动，即使他们位于不同的地理位置。我们还将开发工具，使用AR资产支持患者进行干预后的持续症状管理。**迄今的工作：**我们的平台最初专注于支持患有自闭症的成年人和患有恐惧症的儿童。之前的两批Innovate UK支持使我们能够建立分支机构，并将我们的创新扩展到更广泛的神经典型成年人市场。我们现在通过与NHS信托、私人治疗和私人保险公司的商业合作，成功地提供了VR疗法。**需求：**由于Covid，官方的精神健康等待名单翻了一番，达到160万人。然而，英国国民健康保险制度估计，由于缺乏能力，将从精神健康服务中受益的800万人无法获得这些服务(英国国民保健制度，2021年)。这意味着人们要等待9个月以上才能开始治疗。我们使用我们的干预来支持医疗保健提供者，提供更有效的解决方案，患者只需等待2周，并可以在2-4周内通过4次会议完成。

**Public description**XR Therapeutics is a start-up company, spun out of Newcastle University which has been based on over 9 years of clinical and academic research. Our service combines traditional CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) with gradual exposure therapy to treat phobias and situation specific anxiety. Our solution is delivered using VR (Virtual Reality) technology within a fully immersive environment. The unique treatment can be adapted by the therapist in real time via a tablet, as we work alongside clinicians and end users to tailor scenes based on the needs of the recipient. Administering traditional CBT to an individual can take anywhere between 12 to 20 sessions before the patient observes noticeable impact. Our treatment can shorten this to 4 sessions over a 2-week period, and when treating phobias, this can be achieved in just 1 session. XR Therapeutics is commercially delivering VR supported therapies. This means that we already have established commercial relationships with private health insurers, therapists and major NHS trusts, giving us a clear route to market for an expanded solution.This is an 18-month project that will use the funding received to make our intervention remotely accessible via a device agnostic platform.We will do this by developing our already proven therapy model to be suitable for delivery on headsets and other devices, within Metaverse settings, enabling interaction between therapist and patient even when they are based in different geographical locations. We will also develop the tools to support patients with post-intervention ongoing symptom management using AR assets.**Work to Date:** Our platform initially focused on supporting autistic adults and children with phobias. Two tranches of previous Innovate UK support enabled us to establish the spinout and expand our innovation to the wider market of neurotypical adults. We are now successfully delivering VR therapies through commercial relationships with NHS Trusts, private treatments, and private insurers.**Need:** Official mental health waiting lists have doubled as a result of Covid to 1.6M people. However, NHS England has estimated that 8M people who would benefit from mental health services are unable to access them due to lack of capacity (NHS England, 2021). This means that people are waiting upwards of 9 months to begin treatment. We use our intervention to support healthcare providers by supplying a more efficient solution that patients only have to wait up to 2 weeks for and can be completed within 2-4 weeks through 4 sessions.