Physical therapy made easy with sensors to assess movements

The technology reduces overall costs by providing opportunities for remote and self-management of therapy.

Advances in science and technology have changed many facets of our modern lives. These breakthroughs promote higher efficiency with quicker, more accurate results, beneficial to patients and doctors in healthcare facilities. 
Short-term non-acute disability and reduced mobility, often associated with social stigma, can discourage the public from seeking physical therapy and rehabilitation in an open setting.
ArcSecond, a digital healthcare startup, has created "Arcus", a patented wireless inertial motion capture technology that uses precise and efficient wearable sensors that provide objective Range of Motion (ROM) assessments.
"It also helps visualise complex functional activities and exercises real-time through its innovative virtual avatar platform which is useful for rehabilitation of patients," said co-founder and CEO of ArcSecond, Nathan Ramasarma.
Backed by Dubai Future Accelerators (DFA), ArcSecond has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Amana Healthcare to conduct a pilot study on rehabilitation of patients using the technology.
This study is expected to start soon and run through the end of 2017 following which a commercial roll-out of the technology is expected region-wide. "Partnering with Amana Healthcare extends our reach into the private healthcare sector and gives it access to a good rehabilitation team," said Nathan.
Earlier this year, ArcSecond started working with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) to transform physical therapy and rehabilitation in Dubai across all its facilities.
Developed over the course of three years, Arcus is designed for a variety of use in healthcare, sports, AR/VR and gaming. Being a wireless mesh network, its real-time feedback incorporates visual cues to help patients stay engaged.
It has near-zero latency, a robust Bluetooth and WiFi-based end-to-end communication platform coupled with what is the industry's smallest and most-accurate 9-axis inertial motion sensor developed in-house.
It measures, assesses and tracks a patient's progress during physical therapy and rehabilitation while improving engagement and accelerating positive outcomes. This ultimately benefits all stakeholders in the continuum of care including patients and their families, physicians and insurance companies.
"Doctors and physicians benefit from the accurate measurements for ROM as it eliminates ambiguities and unnecessary repetition, saving time and improving productivity," said Claudia Soares, director of clinical operations at Amana Healthcare, Abu Dhabi.
"Real-time visualisation and validation of functional activities eliminates paperwork and provides a seamless recording of compliance during therapy sessions," she added.
With patients, the technology promotes and enables self-management of therapy in a clinical setting, at home and even at work, saving valuable time and costs. 
"Real-time visualisation and gamification helps patients stay focused on their treatment regime and guides them through completion. This ultimately contributes towards positive outcomes," said Claudia. 
For patients paying for care out-of-pocket, the technology potentially reduces overall costs by providing opportunities for remote and self-management of therapy, whenever possible. 
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com
 
 

• UAE
• Dubai

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