U.S. Patent Granted to Smileyscope for AR, VR Technology

Smileyscope Holding Inc. (Smileyscope) has been awarded a U.S. patent for its virtual reality/augmented reality approach to pain management. 

“Our VR system is designed for healthcare settings,” said co-founder Paul Leong, M.D., MPH, Ph.D. “We developed and patented a powerful approach to changing the brain’s perception of real-world stimuli, ‘re-framing’ what the user experiences in the virtual world.”

Smileyscope merges evidence-based medicine with technology to create digital treatments that help patients manage pain, anxiety, and mental health. The company’s product can be used for needle procedures. The VR experience, in the form of an undersea adventure, is guided by Procedural Choreography. During the procedure, patients experience waves washing over their arm as antiseptic is applied, and fish nibble at the injection site as the needle is inserted.

By replacing negative real-world with positive virtual stimuli, Smileyscope achieved 60 percent reductions in pain and 40 percent reductions in anxiety in two large pediatric randomized controlled trials.¹ Patients report the synchronized approach is more effective than the solely distractive technologies developed as an offshoot of gaming VR.
 
Smileyscope’s best-in-class user interface has received patent protection. While gaming-based VR takes multiple steps and significant time to set up, Smileyscope’s technology launches the VR experience for the patient with the click of a single button. In under 10 seconds patients can be immersed in a VR world designed to help them manage their pain and anxiety. “This means we can start treatment five times faster than other VR headsets,” Leong said.

Smileyscope claims it produces the only VR headset designed for healthcare from the ground up reducing infection control concerns.
 
Smileyscope plans to expand these patented technologies to multiple segments of healthcare and beyond. Many common procedures cause pain and anxiety and are currently treated with drugs ranging from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), to opioids, to complete sedation. Smileyscope looks to bring this and future technology to bear in these markets and become a standard of care for pain management throughout multiple medical specialties.
 
Smileyscope develops virtual reality (VR) therapeutics focused on managing pain and anxiety for patients. The company’s VR headset and proprietary technology, known as Procedural Choreography, replaces negative real-world stimuli with positive VR stimuli resulting in significant reduction in pain and anxiety. The company currently has multiple clinical trials underway and is rapidly expanding its product offerings into additional patient segments.

Reference
¹ Chan E, et al. Virtual reality for pediatric needle procedural pain: two randomized clinical trials. J Pediatr. 2019;209:160-167.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.02.034.