Boston-based virtual reality platform XRHealth announced it distributed hundreds of virtual reality headsets across 30 hospitals, assisted living and mental health centers, and nursing homes in Israel to assist patients suffering from stress, PTSD and anxiety. 

XRHealth's platform allows patients to receive recommended therapies for mental and physical conditions via a virtual reality headset. Data is collected and transferred to the provider, and patients can track their progress via XRHealth's mobile app.

The headsets sent to Israel will include XRHealth's Patient Xperience software, comprising 56 immersive environments aimed at helping patients with meditation, stress, self-relaxation and anxiety.

"As soon as we heard about the attacks in Israel, we wanted to make sure that as a company we were positioned to help assist the survivors of the Hamas attacks and the people of Israel through the recovery process," Eran Orr, CEO of XRHealth, said in a statement.

"Currently we are deploying hundreds of headsets; however, it is clear to us that the need for mental health interventions combined with the shortage of mental health clinicians in the current situation requires even more. Our goal is to deploy 10,000 VR headsets since we believe that VR can be a solution for patient mental health recovery while a provider assists them. We are actively looking for donations to support the deployment of the project in Israel.”

THE LARGER TREND

In 2020, the extended reality company scored $7 million in funding and a $450,000 grant from the Israeli Innovation Authority to provide hospitals in Israel with telehealth services to combat the effects of COVID-19. 

Last year, the company announced it raised $10 million in funding to expand VR-focused healthcare treatment in the metaverse. 

Earlier this year, XRHealth was awarded a U.S. patent for a learning-system technology that adjusts training and treatment protocols according to a patient's biometric and motion data.

XRHealth's technology collects biometric data, including blood pressure, perspiration, heart rate, breathing rate, and inhalation and exhalation volume. It aims to show how a patient's body and cognition function during therapy and the patient's physiological or psychological state.