Virtual Reality for Stroke Rehabilitation

Cooper University Health Care is the first hospital in the world to use a new virtual reality system - the REAL™ Immersive System - for rehabilitation while stroke patients are still hospitalized at Cooper. 

The Cooper Advantage for Stroke Care

As an academic health system and a leading provider of advanced stroke and neurological services, Cooper is committed to adding promising new therapeutic treatment options for patients following a stroke.

The REAL™ Immersive System for Stroke Rehabilitation

The REAL™ Immersive System is a virtual reality and display system that interactively displays and tracks upper-extremity rehabilitation exercises for adult patients using a combination of virtual environments and full presence tracked avatars for visual feedback. 

The system features a head-mounted display component and a series of sensors placed on the patient. Using a handheld tablet device, a trained therapist can choose from a series of game-like activities for the patient. The sensors have mechanical and electrical components that can measure motion and direction in the physical space and then translate that information into a virtual environment. 

Our experts in stroke care, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and physical therapy, work directly with our inpatients as they maneuver through the exercises on the tablet in real-time. The system’s customized software tracks the upper body’s full range of motion, and the experience is three-dimensional or fully immersive so the therapeutic exercises feel “real” to the patient. Immersive activities can stimulate rewiring of the brain following injury, like a stroke.

Comprehensive Stroke Center

Cooper University Health Care has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification for Comprehensive Stroke Centers. 

As the first comprehensive stroke center in South Jersey, our experts provide life-saving techniques and supportive services for the most complex strokes. Cooper is one of only seven hospitals in New Jersey and the first in South Jersey to achieve this significant certification.

Cooper is a leading academic health system. So if you or a loved one has a stroke, Cooper is your best choice for inpatient care.