A Comforting VR Experience to Help Patients Prepare for Surgery Advances Saritasa and Before, Inc. as Finalists for the BOLD Awards
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Feb. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Innovative software development company, Saritasa, and its forward-thinking client Before, Inc., were named finalists in the HealthTech, AR/VR, and Metaverse categories for the 2024 BOLD Awards.
Together, Saritasa and Before, Inc. developed a virtual reality experience to help ease pediatric patient anxiety. The project came to life after Dr. W. Scott Comulada, co-founder of Before, Inc., witnessed the unease of his young daughter before undergoing a minor surgery. The prototype, released in October 2022, encouraged players to comfort an animal friend, a narwhal, waiting in a pre-op space before moving to an operating room.
The Saritasa and Before, Inc. teams worked to balance the visuals – not too real, but also not cartoony – creating a unique VR experience that gives patients a chance to familiarize themselves with medical tools and procedures in a safe environment to relieve preoperative anxiety. The software was built in the real-time development platform Unity by the team’s 3D designers and developers for use with the Meta/Oculus Quest headsets. Users will be guided by a specialist viewing their experience through a monitor.
While the virtual reality experience is available to the public through Meta’s App Lab, the Saritasa and Before, Inc. teams are collaborating with UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital to evaluate the virtual reality experience in a clinical setting. The hospital will conduct a pilot study to evaluate the feasibility of the virtual reality experience for their pediatric patients.
“A surgery can weigh heavily in a patient’s mind in the days and weeks leading up to the procedure. I wanted to remove some of the unknowns surrounding medical operations, and that’s exactly what this VR experience does.” Said Scott Comulada. “I’m thrilled by the exposure it is getting and hope it aids with the mental wellbeing of patients.”
The international BOLD Awards, taking place March 22 in Venice, Italy, recognizes companies, projects, and individuals developing breakthrough technology that powers digital industries. Among its 33 categories, the VR Surgery prep experience was nominated and made it as a finalist in three.
“We are honored to be recognized as finalists for the BOLD Awards,” said Aaron Franko, VP of Immersive Technology at Saritasa. “Working with Before, Inc. on this exciting project was immensely gratifying, and we look forward to seeing this VR experience implemented to help patients in hospital environments.”
About Saritasa
Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, Saritasa empowers global brands with innovative, customized solutions that fit their needs and support an ever-evolving technology ecosystem. As “Builders of Better,” Saritasa specializes in custom software, mobile development, AR and VR, IoT solutions, database development, and DevOps. Founded in 2005, Saritasa employs over 200 employees and has delivered thousands of successful software, hardware and mobile app projects to a range of clients across multiple industries. To learn more, visit www.saritasa.com.
About Before, Inc.
Drs. W. Scott Comulada and Justin Wagner established Before, Inc. in 2021. It seeks to develop immersive software that provides patients with virtual dress rehearsals for upcoming medical procedures to reduce their anxiety and fear of the unknown. Its first product is a virtual reality walkthrough for pediatric patients and their families to reduce preoperative anxiety. To know more about Before, Inc., visit https://before-inc.com.
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