Implementation of a Virtual Reality rendered in Portable Devices for Strabismus Treatment based on Conventional...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Virtual Reality
• Pediatric Medicine

Background:

• Strabismus and amblyopia require effective treatment options, particularly for pediatric patients.
• Conventional visual therapies are established but can be enhanced with technology.
• Virtual reality (VR) offers immersive environments for therapeutic interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a VR system for pediatric strabismus treatment.
• To implement conventional visual therapies within a portable VR framework.
• To assess the usability and user experience of the proposed VR system.

Main Methods:

• Development of a VR system integrating three core visual therapies: Brock cord, approach technique, and convergence/divergence exercises.
• Evaluation of system simplicity, versatility, attractiveness, and hedonic qualities through user experience assessments.
• Involved 45 students aged 17-28 for user experience evaluation before clinical application.

Main Results:

• The VR system achieved an above-average pragmatic quality score (1.73), indicating simplicity and versatility.
• User experience evaluation revealed above-average attractiveness (2.03) and hedonic (1.90) qualities.
• The system is designed for ease of use by both clinicians and young patients.

Conclusions:

• The proposed VR system effectively translates conventional visual therapies for strabismus and amblyopia treatment.
• Positive user experience metrics suggest high potential for patient adherence to the visual exercise program.
• This VR approach offers a promising, accessible alternative for pediatric vision correction.