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

** 公开描述 **XR Therapeutics是一家初创公司，从纽卡斯尔大学分拆出来，该大学基于9年以上的临床和学术研究。我们的服务结合了传统的CBT（认知行为疗法）和渐进式暴露疗法，以治疗恐惧症和特定情况的焦虑。我们的解决方案在完全沉浸式的环境中使用VR（虚拟现实）技术提供。治疗师可以通过平板电脑在真实的时间内调整独特的治疗，因为我们与临床医生和最终用户一起根据接受者的需求定制场景。对一个人进行传统的CBT治疗可能需要12到20个疗程，然后病人才能观察到明显的影响。我们的治疗可以在2周内将其缩短为4个疗程，当治疗恐惧症时，这可以在1个疗程内实现。XR Therapeutics正在商业上提供VR支持的治疗。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信托建立了商业关系，为我们提供了一条清晰的扩展解决方案市场路线。这是一个18-一个月的项目，将使用收到的资金，使我们的干预远程访问通过一个设备不可知的平台。我们将通过开发我们已经证明的治疗模型，以适用于交付耳机和其他设备，在Metaverse设置，使治疗师和病人之间的互动，即使他们是基于不同的地理位置。我们还将开发工具，支持患者使用AR资产进行干预后持续症状管理。迄今为止的工作：** 我们的平台最初专注于支持自闭症成人和患有恐惧症的儿童。之前Innovate UK的两次支持使我们能够建立分拆，并将我们的创新扩展到更广泛的神经典型成人市场。我们现在正通过与NHS信托、私人治疗和私人保险公司的商业关系成功地提供VR治疗。需求：** 由于新冠肺炎，官方的心理健康等候名单翻了一番，达到160万人。然而，NHS英格兰估计，800万人将受益于心理健康服务，但由于缺乏能力而无法获得这些服务（NHS英格兰，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措施来支持医疗保健提供者，提供更有效的解决方案，患者只需等待长达2周，并可以在2-4周内通过4个疗程完成。

**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.