Virtual Reality Cognitive Testing for Low-Stress Dementia Diagnosis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for diagnosing neurological disorders like dementia, such as psychological interviews, MRI, and bio-marker analysis, are costly, stressful for patients, and require expensive equipment, making early diagnosis challenging.
Innovation Solution
A virtual reality apparatus and method using a display, sensing unit, and communication unit to create a virtual reality environment for diagnosing neurological disorders through interactive tests, reducing mental stress and equipment costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If psychological interview method is used for dementia diagnosis, then diagnostic capability is improved, but patient mental stress increases and diagnosis time becomes excessively long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual reality environment as an intermediary between the patient and the diagnostic process. Instead of direct psychological interviews that cause stress, the system uses a virtual avatar and immersive virtual space to mediate the assessment, allowing patients to demonstrate cognitive functions naturally without feeling interviewed or judged, thereby reducing mental stress while maintaining diagnostic capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of a realistic environment (home interior) where diagnostic tasks are performed. By copying familiar real-world settings into the virtual realm, the system allows patients to engage in natural cognitive activities (finding items, recalling locations) without the pressure of clinical interview settings, thus reducing stress while preserving diagnostic validity
2Measurement precision
If MRI equipment or bio-marker analysis is used for dementia diagnosis, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but equipment cost and patient burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, complex medical equipment (MRI machines, lab analysis systems) with a relatively simple and affordable virtual reality system. The VR apparatus uses standard computational hardware running specialized software to perform cognitive assessments, providing a cost-effective alternative that maintains diagnostic accuracy through behavioral observation rather than expensive imaging or laboratory tests
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes complex mechanical and laboratory-based diagnostic systems (MRI scanners, blood analysis equipment) with an information-processing-based virtual reality system. Instead of using heavy machinery to image brains or laboratories to analyze biomarkers, the system uses software-driven virtual environments and sensors to observe and measure cognitive functions, replacing mechanical complexity with computational simplicity
3Loss of information
If traditional psychological interview is used for diagnosis, then diagnostic information is obtained, but diagnosis time becomes excessively long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent structures the diagnostic process as a series of discrete, time-limited virtual tasks rather than a continuous lengthy interview. Patients engage in periodic cognitive challenges (finding items, recalling locations, recognizing objects) within the virtual environment, each with defined time parameters. This periodic task structure efficiently captures diagnostic information across multiple cognitive domains without requiring excessively long continuous assessment sessions
Data Source
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AI summary
The purpose of the present invention is to diagnose a neurological disease such as dementia by using virtual reality, and the present invention receives a neurological disease-diagnosing problem from an external device, displays a virtual reality image through a display on the basis of the received neurological disease-diagnosing problem, and performs an examination using the virtual reality image according to user actions detected through various sensors. This process can be performed when linked with an external device such as a PC or a smart phone. Particularly, with respect to the neurological disease-diagnosing problem, the present invention includes: a first screen for introducing at least one object in a virtual reality space and hiding the same; and a second screen having a question on the hidden object. According to the present invention, neurological disease such as dementia can be conveniently examined without inconveniencing or burdening a patient.