Austen Hayes, co-founder and chief software architect of Recovr, right, and Larry F. Hodges, co-founder and senior manager, stand by a computer loaded with the company's software, Duck, Duck, Punch.
Many stroke survivors face an arduous battle for recovery, but entrepreneurs Austen Hayes, Patrick Dukes and Larry Hodges hope to make it a successful one.
Three years ago, the trio created the computer game "Duck, Duck, Punch" to assist stroke patients with arm movement rehabilitation. Now they have formed Recovr Inc. to market the game and expand their idea into new games, to reach more patients and apply their success to other areas of physical therapy. They are one of nine companies under development at The Iron Yard's 13-week digital health accelerator in downtown Spartanburg.
"We want to transform every type of physical impairment," said Dukes, chief technology officer of Recovr. "We want to create a holistic suite of games."
After simply surviving the loss of blood flow to the brain that causes a stroke, patients face weeks, months and possibly a lifetime of therapy to regain full use of their body.
In many cases, the physical therapy can be monotonous and taxing mentally and emotionally as patients struggle with tasks they once performed easily. Discouraged, many do not follow through on their treatment after leaving the direct supervision of a therapist.
Hayes said research shows patients typically do only 10 percent of the recommended daily therapy exercises.
"Duck, Duck, Punch" uses the same motions as existing therapy methods that are proven to effective and applies them in a game setting, said Hayes, the company's chief executive.
Using Windows Kinect, patients are asked to reach for specific targets on the monitor and are awarded points for each one they touch. The game offers stimulation and encourages patients to continue their exercises.
In each of three five-day pilot studies, Hayes said patients using "Duck, Duck, Punch" dramatically increased their exercise repetitions.
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Entrepreneurs aim to help stroke victims