초록 ▼

A method of treating a psychological, psychiatric, or medical condition by choosing a psychological strategy for treating the condition, encoding electronic instructions for a virtual reality environment in such a way that the interactive virtual reality environment implements the psychological stra

A method of treating a psychological, psychiatric, or medical condition by choosing a psychological strategy for treating the condition, encoding electronic instructions for a virtual reality environment in such a way that the interactive virtual reality environment implements the psychological strategy, loading electronic instructions into a virtual reality technology unit (10, 22) equipped with a display (14, 40) for displaying the virtual reality environment and with a patient input device (14, 22, 32) for receiving responses to the environment from the patient, and instructing the human patient how and when to use the virtual reality technology unit to interact with the environment. The interactive environment contains instructions for a scoring procedure for quantitatively analyzing the medical condition of the patient, and/or counseling instructions or self-help instructions. The environment can be used in conjunction with a physical parameter measuring device (36) connected to the virtual reality technology unit (10). The process is comprehensive and takes place during immersion in fully interactive three-dimensional virtual reality environments utilizing computer generated graphics, images imported from photographs, and video for sensory stimulation. Immersion is achieved with goggles, a head-mounted-display, or other form of visual stimulation, such as surround projection screens or monitors or devices that permit the user to have a virtual experience. It includes the use of voice, music, and sound and other forms of physiological stimulation and feedback. Body sensors and devices such as a hand-held grip permit the user to interact with objects and navigate within the virtual environment.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method for treating a psychological, psychiatric, or medical condition in a human patient, comprising:(a) choosing a psychological strategy for treating said psychological, psychiatric, or medical condition; (b) providing an interactive virtual reality environment; (1) said interactive virtual

1. A method for treating a psychological, psychiatric, or medical condition in a human patient, comprising:(a) choosing a psychological strategy for treating said psychological, psychiatric, or medical condition; (b) providing an interactive virtual reality environment; (1) said interactive virtual reality environment comprising a technology unit arranged to display to said human patient a plurality of virtual reality environments; (2) said technology unit having an input for receiving feedback responses to said interactive virtual reality environment from said human patient; (3) said technology unit arranged to change said virtual reality environment in response to said feedback responses from said human patient; (c) selecting said virtual reality environment to correspond to said psychological strategy; (d) encoding electronic instructions for said interactive virtual reality environment; (e) loading said electronic into said virtual reality technology unit; and (f) instructing said human patient how and when to use said virtual reality technology unit so as to experience said interactive virtual reality environment and how and when to provide feedback responses to said technology unit for changing said virtual reality environment so as to treat said psychological, psychiatric, or medical condition.