The EyeControl device is fitted to the patient. (Photo: EyeControl)
Israeli Medical Technology Company Eye Control We have developed innovative solutions to address the communication and personal needs of ALS patients.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating, chronic disease that eats away at nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Patients' condition gradually worsens, causing a loss of muscle control, severely affecting their ability to speak, move, breathe and eat.
EyeControl's wearable device also allows patients on ventilators to communicate with family and medical staff through eye gestures and bone conduction headsets.
Additionally, this innovative medical technology improves the quality of life for seriously ill patients by allowing them to hear recorded messages from loved ones or listen to their favorite music. The overall aim of EyeControl's innovative solutions is to enhance the human experience and prevent cognitive decline in patients.
EyeControl's products also improved the lives of Israeli soldiers during the war.
Michal Finkelstein, a trained speech-language pathologist and product specialist at iControl, recalled how the company was able to help Yoav Tzivoni, an IDF fighter who was severely injured fighting in Gaza, and finally woke up after six months of treatment in the intensive care unit at Ashta Ashdod University Hospital.
“When I got the email from the nurse saying Yoav wanted my music, I was shaking with excitement!” Finkelstein Said.
Tzvika Rabbi, a devout IDF soldier who died from injuries sustained during the war, also benefited from iControl's innovative solution, enabling his wife and children to stay in contact with him while he was receiving treatment in hospital.
“When his wife, an occupational therapist, found out about the device, she said, 'Let's go!' She and her daughters had already recorded messages for the device. His wife told me that Tzvika was a very religious man. She said it comforted her to know that even on the Sabbath Tzvika would be able to hear her voice, and the voices of her children and parents. I almost cried…” Finkelstein recalls.
Dr Ami Mayo, head of the intensive care unit at Ashta Hospital, highlighted the benefits of this medical technology in improving quality of life.
“In intensive care, there are barriers to communication with patients,” Mayo explained, adding that he hopes the use of iControl's products will continue to expand globally. “We would like to see all intensive care patients have access to this device, because disorientation and inability to communicate can lead to delirium and post-traumatic stress disorder after discharge from the intensive care unit,” he said.
Although Israel is a small country, Appeared As Key players in Medicine technology and global health care.