San Diego, California-based Reflexion Health has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its digital physical therapy tool, called Vera, which uses Microsoft Kinect motion-tracking to help patients with musculoskeletal rehabilitation.
“We are thrilled to be one of a growing number of digital medicine companies to receive FDA clearance to use innovative tools and methods, such as Vera, to deliver care in a more engaging and efficient way,” Reflexion Health CEO Spencer Hutchins said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to demonstrate Vera’s positive impact on patients, doctors, and therapists.”
Canada-based Jintronix, a Reflexion competitor that also offers a Microsoft Kinect-based physical therapy program, received FDA clearance earlier this year.
Physical therapists can use Reflexion's Vera to customize treatment plans and create their own exercises and educational materials for patients. From there, a patient can use the system to do exercises -- an avatar in the program coaches and motivates patients to perform exercises. The program tracks their adherence to their treatment plan. The data Vera collects is sent to physical therapists who review their patient's progress and, if they choose, alter the program. Vera also provides patients with access to instructional videos and education materials.
The product is based on research conducted at West Health, which Reflexion spun out of in 2012.
In March 2014, when the company raised $7.5 million in funding, Reflexion was undergoing pilot studies at Partners HealthCare’s Center for Connected Health in Boston and San Diego’s Rady Children’s Hospital.
The company also announced that it has partnered with the Cleveland Clinic and the Brooks Rehabilitation Center in Jacksonville, Florida, where Vera will be offered to patients recovering from joint replacement surgery. Reflexion Health is also using Vera with two senior patient populations in San Diego, California and Fearrington, North Carolina as part of a $1 million grant awarded by the Centers for Disease Control focused on fall prevention.
Earlier this year, another company that offers a digital musculoskeletal injury rehabilitation program, Force Therapeutics, raised $1.7 million. The app, called Force Patient, which is available on iOS and Android devices, helps patients access home exercise videos, log their compliance, read educational materials, purchase recommended gear, and receive messages from their care team.
