FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions about HappyMed?

In anaesthesia with general anaesthesia in the induction room or in the recovery room and with interventions in regional anaesthesia also directly in the operating room. In cardiology for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and electrophysiological examination of the heart (EPU). In oncology for radiation therapy, infusion therapy and bone marrow punctures.

> Read more about the possible uses and the advantages in anaesthesia

In the case of children, it is particularly useful to use it in the pre-operartive room. So you come to the operating room relaxed and only see the transfer from the bed to the operating table before the medical and film programs continue.

> Read more: HappyMed distracts children before the operation and the use of medication can be reduced by 50 – 70 percent

Over 80% of human sensory impressions are perceived through the eyes and ears, which makes audiovisual sedation an extremely effective method for reducing stress and anxiety. HappyMed offers a retreat, even for patients in very psychologically stressful situations, and helps them to come up with positive thoughts. For medical facilities, this results in an alternative to the increased use of sedatives and an effective means of increasing the acceptance rate of regional anaesthesia .

Furthermore, evaluations of the video glasses take place in hospitals on an ongoing basis. In June 2021, for example, in the anaesthesia department in the Schrobenhausen district hospital, the effect of HappyMed video glasses was examined on 88 patients over a period of 5 months. It was found that the patient’s subjective level of anxiety was significantly reduced through the use of glasses and that sedatives could be partially or completely reduced in over 80% of the interventions .

> Read more about the study

Virtual reality glasses are very popular in the entertainment industry, but have some disadvantages in medical use in the OR. When wearing the virtual reality glasses, the patient should be able to move and turn his head; this is the only way to perceive the full environment. In the operating room, however, it does not make sense for patients to move their head back and forth. It has also been found that virtual reality glasses can cause dizziness in some patients. Another disadvantage is the focus on the visual level. Patients are only distracted spatially and not acoustically. So you can perceive the surrounding noises and that in turn makes the calming effect more difficult. For these reasons, we at HappyMed use classic video glasses with headphones.

> Read more: 10 advantages of using 2D glasses versus virtual reality glasses for medical interventions

The program offers either entertainment or relaxation for all ages – for children as well as for seniors. Patients can choose among feature films, comedies, documentaries, nature relaxation, classical concerts, and children’s series.

According to a survey in several clinics of a German chain of clinics (n = 110), 92% of the patients would use HappyMed again. The medical staff enjoy working with HappyMed in more than 80% of the cases. In 45% of the interventions, HappyMed can save on sedatives, painkillers or anesthetics. In 73% of these cases, medication could even be completely dispensed with.

No, all films are stored locallydirectly on the media center. HappyMed can also be used in treatment rooms or the operating theater without W-LAN and without Internet . System and / or updates take place while charging (overnight).

Yes, that is possible.

Yes, for people who wear glasses, the diopters can be set separately for each eye, so that a sharp image is guaranteed.

The glasses are ergonomically designed and sit loosely on the nose. Therefore, the glasses can also be used while wearing a ventilator.

Yes, the headphones can be deactivated by staff at any time (lever on the outside of the headphones, left and right). This allows you to stay in good contact with the patient.

The patient’s field of vision is only about 70% obscured. This way he is well distracted, but can still look up or down something above or below the glasses. The patient still has the feeling of being in control of the situation and the medical staff has the opportunity to communicate with the wearer if necessary.

The HappyMed battery lasts up to 10 hours. This makes the glasses suitable for daily use – for several successive short interventions and also for longer interventions.

The HappyMed video glasses can be completely disinfected thanks to their hygienic surfaces and the disposable headphone covers are interchangeable. A cleaning plan is also available.

The maintenance of the glasses, in particular the installation of updates in the software area, is carried out remotely. This means that there is no additional effort for the medical technology department .

Since metal is built into the HappyMed video glasses and MRIs work with a strong magnetic field, it is unfortunately not possible to use the HappyMed video glasses.

In everyday life and in the professional environment, almost all devices and systems generate electrical, magnetic or electromagnetic fields (EMF). The interaction of these fields can lead to interference. For this reason, the HappyMed video glasses cannot be used as part of an MRI examination.

Yes. HappyMed is a CE-marked Class I medical device and can be used safely in the surgery room.

All films are stored locally directly on the media center. HappyMed can also be used in the operating theater without WiFi and without Internet. System and / or updates take place while charging (overnight).

The video glasses are exclusively rented. The monthly subscription cost is just €249. That includes the complete system and the film licenses.

Yes! The HappyMed Video Glasses can be purchased for € 8,499. The purchase price includes the hardware and the full commercial usage rights for the film content in the licensed territory of Germany, Austria and Switzerland (DE / AT / CH) for 3 years. The selection comprises more than 80 films ranging from 5 to 120 minutes in length.

From the 4th year onwards, the film selection is reduced to the "Nature and Relaxation" category. The full film selection can be added again at any time.

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Medical interventions are associated with stress and anxiety . Some patients require higher doses of sedatives and / or analgesics for this reason. Frightened patients also opt for general anaesthesia more often , even if, for example, the upcoming procedure would also be possible under regional anaesthesia. The sequelae of higher drug doses etc. include the occurrence of postoperative delirium, a longer period of time before extubation or a longer stay in the recovery room. Taken as a whole, this results in an increased amount of care on the part of the anesthetists and nursing staff.

Examples with cost estimates:

• Patients who develop postoperative delirium have to stay an average of 4.2 days longer in the hospital and thus consume additional resources worth around € 1,200.
• Patients who were additionally pharmaceutically sedated before the regional anaesthesia must be monitored in the recovery room for 2 hours after the operation. If you rate an hour in the recovery room with costs of approx. € 600, this results in additional costs of € 1,200 for this one patient.

With the HappyMed video glasses there is a potential for savings through more regional anaesthesiainstead of general anaesthesia, through less pharmaceutical sedation, through a shorter time to extubation, through a shorter time in the recovery room, through a reduced risk of postoperative delirium and through the relief of the anaesthesia and / or nursing staff.

In June 2021, for example, in the anaesthesia department in the Schrobenhausen district hospital, the effect of HappyMed video glasses was examined on 88 patients over a period of 5 months . The evaluation not only dealt with the effect of audiovisual sedation on patients, but also included process-oriented topics such as the assessment of economic factors.

It was found here that the patient’s level of anxiety is significantly reduced through the use of glasses and that sedatives could be partially or completely reduced in over 80% of the interventions, according to the assessment of the treatment team.

Finally, it was possible to prove in an economic analysis that the use of HappyMed video glasses is also economical: despite primarily additional costs, the profitability could be proven through positive secondary and tertiary effects . An extrapolation allows the conclusion that the amortization of the video glasses with an isolated consideration of the sequela of “delirium” occurs with an avoidance of this per 113 uses.

The author goes on to say that, from an economic point of view, the marketing effect of video glasses can also create added value. Because other marketing measures are hardly feasible for such low expenditure as for the HappyMed video glasses.

You can find current reports on our press page . Innovative technologies are a magnet for local media and well-known TV & radio stations such as ORF, MDR, Das Erste, ProSieben, SAT.1 or RTL have already reported on HappyMed.

You can read more about the study here or you can download a more extensive whitepaper on savings potential in hospitals here.

You send us an inquiry with your contact details. We will then contact you by phone, discuss a few details and make an appointment for the delivery.

As soon as you have received the video glasses, we will give you a brief introduction either by telephone or online video conference. (An appointment on site is currently not possible due to the corona situation). The test position is thus carried out completely contactless, online and over the phone.

The HappyMed video glasses are ready for immediate use. No installation or configuration is required. The operation of the system is child’s play and self-explanatory.

During the test, all functions and all media on the video glasses are freely accessible to you. You can use the device to the full and test it for 14 days free of charge. If you have any questions, you can reach us at any time by phone or email.

After the 14-day trial, we will have a short feedback discussion with you about how you experienced the deployment. If you are not convinced, we will have the device picked up at our expense. If you were enthusiastic, we will be happy to make you an offer and, if necessary, you can keep the video glasses from the test version.

Request a test version now