The medical applications for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology have already shown promise through work by researchers like Dr Shafi Ahmed from St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, with Virtual Surgeon for example. Now SyncThink, a company specialising in neuro-technology to do with eye tracking metrics and devices has announced its received FDA clearance for its first device, EYE-SYNC.
The EYE-SYNC device is an integrated head-mounted eye tracking unit for rapid, recording, viewing and analyzing of eye movement impairment through the use of VR. One of the most common deficits after a concussion is abnormal eye movement, and an assessment by EYE-SYNC can yield a result in under 60 seconds.
One use for the technology is in sports related injuries, where players are frequently at risk of concussions. Using EYE-SYNC after an incident could help trainers know quickly if a players brain is out of sync and shouldn’t continue.
“In my opinion, the EYE-SYNC device has significant implications for sideline evaluation, and I can see in the future how this can be the diagnostic gold standard for sports related concussion with every pro, college, and high school team having one on the field,” said Scott Anderson, MA, ATC, Director of athletic training for Stanford University Sports Medicine. Anderson continued, “Stanford Sports Medicine currently uses EYE-SYNC technology as an investigational device to screen athletes for concussion and make decisions on return to play.”
SyncThink was founded in 2009 by Dr. Jamshid Ghajar, MD, PhD, FACS, and President of the Brain Trauma Foundation. It’s taken years of research by Dr. Ghajar and his team to develop EYE-SYNC before gaining the FDA approval.
Further details on the technology can be found on the SyncThink website, and VRFocus will continue to cover all aspects of VR technology use.
