VR
A recent study found patients using virtual reality while undergoing hand surgery required less anesthesia during surgery.
It features more than 1,200 combinations of randomised simulated situations in a hospital ward.
The virtual reality startup said the investment brings its total raise to more than $30 million.
![[Left] Adam Hutchinson, founder of oVRcome, and [Right] Dr Cameron Lacey of the University of Otago](/sites/mhn/files/styles/230x130/public/2025-07/1630195915719.jpg?itok=scAW_oRC)
The VR app has been shown to reduce 75% of phobia symptoms after six weeks of treatment.
The study was supported by AppliedVR and used its system for treating chronic lower-back pain. The tool received FDA De Novo clearance last year.
However, researchers found that participants' tendencies toward anxiety or pain catastrophizing affected which intervention worked better.
The use of social skill training VR facilitates the social rehabilitation of patients with mental disorders.
Cofounder and CEO Matthew Stoudt discusses AppliedVR's De Novo clearance from November, what's next for the company and the biggest trends from 2021.
The research targets people with complex regional pain syndrome, post-stroke pain, and other pain-induced conditions.
The training programme was first developed in 2017 by an Australian cardiologist together with Janssen Pharmaceuticals.