ALAMEDA, Calif.– Penumbra, Inc. (NYSE: PEN), a global healthcare company focused on innovative therapies, today announced the first full body, non-tethered immersive healthcare offering for rehabilitation. The latest REAL y-Series product uses upper and lower body sensors that allow clinicians to track full body movement and progress in real time. The expansion of the virtual reality-based immersive healthcare platform, REAL System, will be used to support a broad range of physical, cognitive and mental well-being for patients undergoing physical or occupational therapy.
“Two of the largest challenges in rehabilitation are maintaining patient motivation and lack of engagement,” said Gita Barry, executive vice president and general manager of Penumbra’s Immersive Healthcare business. “Penumbra’s latest REAL y-series is the only hands-free, sensor-based VR platform available that provides activities for both lower and upper body. By enabling patients to immerse and visualize their entire body in motion and providing clinicians the ability to individualize each therapy session to challenge and motivate patients, we can maximize the key benefits of rehabilitation therapy by promoting higher engagement and intensity, which has the potential to improve patient outcomes.”
With the addition of lower extremity capabilities, the latest REAL y-Series can support an even wider range of conditions and level of function, broadening utility from high acuity to high functioning patients. The REAL y-Series is currently being used in clinics and hospitals across the country to address core and balance, cognition, functional uses, activities of daily living training (e.g., grocery shopping, self-care) and cognitive stimulation.
The need for innovative rehabilitation therapy has never been greater. A new survey1 conducted by YouGov, which includes more than 100 physical therapists in the U.S., confirmed the challenges and need for innovation in the field today:
- Nearly 75% say patient compliance is the biggest challenge in physical therapy today, but more than half believe VR can help improve that.
- 80% of physical therapists say the field has changed only moderately or not at all over the last decade.
- A majority of physical therapists (65%) would be eager to use technologies like VR in their practice.
“Penumbra is advancing the latest immersive healthcare technology to help patients get back to their life with as little impairment as quickly as possible. VR in healthcare can be an extraordinary resource in rehabilitation and with our full body immersive innovation, we know we can have a tremendous impact on a broad range of patients,” continued Barry.
