VR Eye Movement Monitor Helps Assess Concussion

A virtual reality (VR) eye-tracking platform provides objective measurements to aid in diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The SyncThink (Holliston, MA, USA) Eye-Sync device consists of a VR headset with infrared (IR) cameras that track eye movement, helping clinicians to objectively evaluate visual impairments, monitor recovery, and support the rehabilitation of ocular-motor and ocular-vestibular deficits. Eye-Sync includes smooth pursuit (clockwise and anti-clockwise), vestibule-ocular reflex (VOR), and saccade (horizontal and vertical) based 60-second assessments that objectively measure eye movements, and also offers multiple modalities to train dynamic vision.

Following assessment, the VR headset connects wirelessly to a tablet device, where results can be viewed within sixty seconds. Eye-Sync is available with the Pico (San Francisco, CA, USA) Neo 2 Eye or the Samsung (Seoul, Korea) Gear Bluetooth enabled VR headsets; a Samsung S5e android tablet; a protective carrying case; paradigms for patient assessment, therapy, and training; electronic medical record (EMR) integration and rest API access; and secure, HIPAA compliant data storage.

“SyncThink develops revolutionary eye-tracking technology and analytics, in a virtual reality environment. With millions of concussions occurring each year, the need for a rapid, mobile and most importantly, objective metric for impairment and recovery is clear,” said Laura Yecies, CEO of SyncThink. “SyncThink remains dedicated to developing technology to allow everyone from athletes to patients to objectively monitor and improve their brain health and performance.”

The technology is designed to measure variance in synchronization abilities, or how much error is produced when interacting with visual cues. Each assessment is designed to identify the quality of performance with respect to synchronizing eye movement with a moving object, or by examining gaze fixation. Concussion, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and other neurodegenerative disorders all have unique synchronization deficits, providing a biomarker of impairment and/or pathology.

Related Links:
SyncThink
Pico
Samsung