Virtual Occupational Therapy Assistant (VOTA)

描述(由申请人提供)：虚拟职业治疗助理(VOTA)利用人体运动跟踪、多用户虚拟环境和互联网语音(VoIP)技术的进步，为美国每年约75万中风患者提供具有成本效益的临床康复和远程治疗选择。该系统由基于网络浏览器的软件和桌面USB计算机外围设备组成，将使患者能够练习日常生活活动(ADL)，作为住院、熟练护理、门诊或家庭健康治疗计划的一部分。提议的应用程序的核心是一个高保真的计算机生成环境，在这个环境中，患者的真实世界上肢(UE)姿势通过他们的虚拟角色来反映。在治疗师监督和独立的实践中，桌面运动跟踪系统将允许在个人卫生、着装、饮食、餐饮准备、购物、洗衣、清洁、电话使用、药物管理、消防安全和危险情况感知等场景中进行现实互动。在家庭健康方面，该系统将允许治疗师与远程患者一起工作，促进护理的连续性，并节省与旅行相关的时间和成本。需要解决的问题：通过实现虚拟ADL的家庭实践和治疗师与患者之间的远程互动，VOTA解决了以下关键挑战：(1)通过消除与患者/治疗师旅行相关的时间和费用来降低成本；(2)增加进入偏远和服务不足地区的机会；(3)通过物理实践和心理成像加强皮质重组。长期目标：通过有效和高效地提供护理来改善中风康复结果。第一阶段摘要：Barron Associates将与弗吉尼亚大学医学院、UVA-HealthSouth康复医院和Digital Design，Inc.合作，开发和测试一个原型桌面UE运动跟踪USB计算机外围设备和基于网络的虚拟世界应用软件，该软件基于“OT岛”上的生态有效环境和活动。设计工作将集中在系统可用性以及提供者和患者的体验上。在这项工作的后半部分，UVA-HealthSouth治疗师将进行一项试点研究，以评估Vota得出的绩效评分与临床上接受的ADL功能衡量标准以及患者使用系统的可用性/可能性的相关性。这些努力将为后续Vota商业产品的第二阶段设计以及Vota疗法在临床和家庭健康环境中的有效性的人体参与者试验提供坚实的知识基础。商业机会：HealthSouth是美国最大的康复保健服务提供商，它的参与为推出基于网络的Vota软件的订阅访问和销售台式UE运动跟踪计算机外围设备提供了跳板。 公共卫生相关性：虚拟职业治疗助理(VOTA)是一个基于虚拟现实的远程康复系统，能够对日常活动进行功能性练习 通过传统的网络浏览器和桌面运动跟踪USB计算机外围设备生活。拟议的开发通过以下方式解决重要的公共卫生问题：(1)在在线功能培训期间实现患者和治疗师之间的远程互动；(2)通过消除与患者/治疗师旅行相关的时间和费用来降低成本；(3)增加进入偏远和服务不足地区的机会；(4)通过物理实践和心理图像加强皮质重组；以及(5)为患者的活动和功能状态提供可靠的跟踪机制。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Virtual Occupational Therapy Assistant (VOTA) leverages advances in human motion tracking, multi-user virtual environments, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to provide cost effective clinical rehabilitation and teletherapy options for the approximately three quarters of a million individuals in the United States affected by stroke each year. The system, consisting of web browser-based software and a desktop USB computer peripheral, will enable patients to practice activities of daily living (ADLs) as part of an in-patient, skilled nursing, outpatient, or home health treatment program. At the core of the proposed application is a high-fidelity computer-generated environment in which a patient's real-world upper extremity (UE) pose is mirrored by their virtual character. In both therapist-supervised and independent practice, a desktop motion tracking system will permit realistic interactions in scenarios spanning personal hygiene, dressing, eating, meal preparation, shopping, laundry, cleaning, telephone use, medication management, fire safety, and dangerous situation awareness. In home health usage, the system will permit the therapist to work with a remotely located patient, promoting continuity of care and saving travel-associated time and cost. Problem to be addressed: By enabling at-home practice of virtual ADLs and remote interaction between therapist and patient, VOTA addresses critical challenges of (1) reducing cost through elimination of the time and expense associated with patient/therapist travel; (2) increasing access to remote and underserved areas; (3) enhancing cortical reorganization through physical practice and mental imagery. Long-Term Goal: Improve stroke rehabilitation outcomes through effective and efficient delivery of care. Phase I Summary: Barron Associates, in partnership with the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine, UVA-HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital, and Designing Digitally, Inc., will develop and test a prototype desktop UE motion tracking USB computer peripheral and web-based virtual worlds application software based on ecologically valid environments and activities on an "OT Island." Design efforts will focus on system usability and the experience of providers and patients. In the latter half of the effort, UVA-HealthSouth therapists will conduct a pilot study to assess the correlation of VOTA-derived performance scores to clinically accepted measures of ADL functionality as well as system usability/likelihood of use by patients. These efforts will providea solid basis of knowledge for subsequent Phase II design of the VOTA commercial product and human participant trials of the effectiveness of VOTA therapy in both clinical and home health settings. Commercial Opportunity: Participation by HealthSouth, the nation's largest provider of rehabilitative healthcare services, provides a springboard for the introduction of subscription-based access to web-based VOTA software and sale of the desktop UE motion tracking computer peripheral. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The Virtual Occupational Therapy Assistant (VOTA) is a virtual reality-based telerehabilitation system enabling functional practice of activities of daily living through a conventional web browser and a desktop motion tracking USB computer peripheral. Proposed development addresses important public health concerns by (1) enabling remote interaction between patient and therapist during online functional training; (2) reducing cost through elimination of the time and expense associated with patient/therapist travel; (3) increasing access to remote and underserved areas; (4) enhancing cortical reorganization through physical practice and mental imagery; and (5) providing reliable tracking mechanisms for patient activity and functional status.