State of digital health investment, part 5: HTC Vive

HTC Vive is carving out a novel function in healthcare, creating digital actuality headsets and investing in medical prolonged actuality (XR) applied sciences and firms. 

Dan O’Brien, president for the Americas at HTC Vive, sat down with MobiHealthNews to debate HTC Vive’s place in healthcare and what traders ought to prioritize when funding medical XR ventures and rising applied sciences.

MobiHealthNews: How is HTC Vive working inside healthcare?

Dan O’Brien: For those who take a look at the model, it is a blue triangle that stands for know-how, innovation and humanity. That is the model promise, what we’re really engaged on and options we have been engaged on since day one. Healthcare is a kind of verticals that we felt like we may make a distinction, whether or not it was coaching and simulation, 3D visualization and precise therapeutics.  

We instantly began working with doctor groups and clinician groups who had an thought. One of many early ones was Surgical Theater, which is a 3D visualization of MRI scans and most cancers clusters, permitting surgeons to have a 3D view of a surgical procedure they have been going to arrange for. That was 2016. So, we have been within the healthcare area for fairly a while.  

We’ve additionally had some large-scale deployments over time with firms like Penumbra.  We’ve different companions like PeriopSim, Cinemax, XRHealth, VRpatients and others. A few of them we have now invested in as an organization. A few of them, we’re simply partnered with and we co-sell an answer to the market. 

However we’re nonetheless working in all of these verticals right this moment. Coaching simulation is likely one of the greatest vertical use circumstances that we actually get to make an enormous distinction. We are able to get coaching by way of considerably quicker. One hour of coaching will be finished in quarter-hour. 

And so, it’s extremely efficient, after which the opposite one we see as a very good knowledge level is the discount of errors. So, upwards of 9 occasions fewer errors by surgeons, as a result of they’re training again and again. We’re beginning to see now the place they’re constructing simulations for affected person interactions as effectively, which is absolutely good.

MHN: Meta has had bother solidifying itself in healthcare resulting from alleged HIPAA violations. Why is HTC Vive so assured about its transfer into healthcare not having a adverse impact on the corporate?

O’Brien: I can see that that is an organization that has data-privacy challenges and a enterprise mannequin that is designed to devour that knowledge. We do not acquire a variety of that knowledge, and we do not have a data-mining enterprise mannequin.

Once we work with, whether or not it is monetary providers, the federal authorities, vitality and a few of these different extra labeled or extremely safe areas, we’re the default gadget, as a result of we do not mine the information. We defend the information. We encrypt the information. We encrypt the communication between the headsets.

We even have particular ISO certifications only for medical affected person knowledge dealing with. So, as info is dealt with within the headset, that info goes again to no matter ISO or hospital community that is utilizing these merchandise. We’ve the certification for having the ability to transmit that knowledge. We do not contact it or seize it, however we securely go it to the place it is presupposed to be, in order that no one else can really contact it.

We have invested in these issues as an organization – affected person dealing with and knowledge dealing with. Healthcare is a pure vertical for us to make an enormous distinction. We’re working with the VA, we’re working with very massive hospital networks, and so we’re engaged on superior methods to deliver much more options into the market. So, it is an space for us to double down.

MHN: HTC Vive invests in numerous XR firms. What ought to traders take into account when deciding whether or not to fund a medical XR firm?

O’Brien: Once you take a look at among the firms, they could have their knowledge and metrics, however their efficacy is like, “Oh, effectively, persons are having fun with that.” And it is like, effectively, that is nice. Individuals who play Beat Saber take pleasure in gentle sabers. 

From an investor’s standpoint, they actually have to have a look at their efficacy. Is there vital efficacy? We all know of firms which might be engaged on particular PTSD restoration and midbrain blood-flow purposes, the place the headset is now the supply system for the restoration or the remedy. 

However you must be very particular in going, “Listed here are firms which have scientific knowledge.” They’re displaying the precise efficacy of their resolution. Here’s a clear TAM [total addressable market]. Listed here are 9 million veterans we will construct options for. 

Basically, you must take a look at the true knowledge these firms are engaged on, as a result of some are simply engaged on feel-good “psychological well being.” I believe that phrase is used very abusively. However actually figuring out, does that staff perceive when an individual is in a psychological well being disaster? What’s that disaster? When they’re at a cognitive deficiency and after they’re really in disaster.

Once we take a look at what we have finished with the area station and Commander [Andreas] Mogensen, and the European House Company, and the work that he did, all of that was measured knowledge of when he was within the headset when he was on the train bike. It was quite simple measurements, however we have been measuring the efficacy of decreasing stress, growing the general cognitive state of being able to dealing with all of the duties from that day. As a result of, if you wish to be in a nerve-racking surroundings, stay in area. That is a high-stress surroundings.

So, I take a look at all these eventualities and go, let’s be very purposeful in understanding the businesses that actually wish to make a distinction.