Reflexion Health raises $18M for FDA-cleared, Kinect-based physical therapy programs

San Diego-based Reflexion Health, which offers physical therapy programs that leverage Microsoft Kinect for Windows, has raised $18 million in its series B round of funding from undisclosed investors. To date the company has been exclusively funded by the West Health Investment Fund, which injected $7.5 million into the company in 2014 and $4.25 million in 2012.

The company says it plans to use its new funds to complete clinico-economic evaluation of its FDA cleared product, Vera; it will also expand its suite of digital medicine product offerings; and roll out to additional healthcare systems in US.

Reflexion Health’s product, called Vera, includes an "interactive and entertaining" patient interface that aims to increase patient's adherence to their physical therapy exercises. Vera is based on research conducted at the West Health Institute, which Reflexion spun out of in 2012. Vera offers patients instructional video and full-body video game mechanics instead of the current standard of care -- photocopied handouts describing exercises. By using Microsoft Kinect for Windows, Vera coaches patients through their exercises and sends performance data and other information back to clinicians.

The company is also working with its provider partners to expand Vera to patients who are heading into and recovering from joint replacement surgery. The CDC also gave the company a $1 million grant to use the technology in a fall prevention program for seniors.