Medical device for neuro-visual rehabilitation in telemedicine
The history of AvDesk
AvDesk is a class I medical device for the assessment and development of neuro-visual rehabilitation therapies in telemedicine.
It was born in 2010 from years of work conducted by Linari Holding in collaboration with IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris Pisa, a world leader in child neuropsychiatry.
Ten years ago, Italian researchers and researchers from the IRCCS found evidence that some children with congenital visual field deficits were able to perform activities in their blind spot.
“Through functional MRI, neurologists had detected that their visual areas corresponding to the blind spot were active: the solution therefore had to be of neurological origin and derived from synaptic plasticity, which is at its peak in childhood and which naturally managed to compensate for part of the deficit”
Caterina Stimola, CEO of Linari Medical
Remote use was necessary so that these young patients could stay in the facility for the shortest time possible and then continue rehabilitation at home. The device therefore had to be simple so that it could be used even without the presence of a doctor.
AvDesk reflects these characteristics: it requires the patient to follow the audio-visual stimuli emitted according to the therapy developed remotely and to press a button as quickly as possible every time they are perceived.
Nel caso di pazienti non collaboranti AvDesk funziona senza pulsante, grazie al sistema di Gaze ed Head Tracking che verifica in tempo reale la visione dello stimolo e il contributo della testa del paziente nella ricerca dello stimolo..
AvDesk sfrutta tecnologie all’avanguardia per lavorare in telemedicina e consente a medici e terapisti di elaborare un percorso di allenamento cognitivo personalizzato giornalmente sulle esigenze della persona assistita, garantendo miglioramenti apprezzabili già dopo due settimane di trattamento.
International patent
Europe
Switzerland
USA
Japan
AvDesk: who is it for?
AvDesk can be used on cooperative and non-cooperative patients, adults and children suffering from neuro-visual deficits such as: hemianopsia, neglect, disorders of consciousness, Alzheimer's, cognitive and attention deficits.
It is a unique tool of its kind for performing clinical assessment and treatment of these alterations, an international point of reference for neuro-visual deficits.
Cases worldwide
4+ Million
Hemianopia and Quadrantanopia
Cases in Italy
2021 Data
7 Million
Hearing deficits
The incidence of hearing problems in Italy is estimated at 12.1% of the population, approximately 7 million Italians with hearing loss.
2017 Data
1.5 Million
Visual deficits
By 2030, an increase in the blind population of approximately 25% is expected due to the aging of the population.
2018 Data
276.000
Attention or learning deficits
The treatment can also be aimed at improving the cognitive abilities of children with deficits such as SEN or SLD.
2018 Data
600.000
Alzheimer's Disease
The incidence of this disease is destined to increase due to the increase in life expectancy.
Operating principles
AvDesk’s rehabilitation approach is based on multisensory stimulation, combining visual and auditory cues that are spatially and temporally coordinated to promote neuroplasticity.
This technology is used both in neuro-visual and neurological rehabilitation following stroke, head trauma, brain tumors or cognitive decline, and in the enhancement of cognitive and visuo-spatial skills in sports or professional fields.
The method is based on two consolidated neuroscientific foundations.
Multisensory integration (Stein and Meredith)
Neuroscientist Barry Stein demonstrated the existence, in the superior colliculus, of multisensory neurons capable of simultaneously receiving visual, auditory and somatosensory stimuli.
Quando questi segnali sono coerenti tra loro, la risposta neuronale non si limita a sommarsi: si amplifica.
The phenomenon follows three principles: spatial coincidence, temporal coincidence and inverse effectiveness, whereby the enhancement is greater the weaker the individual stimuli are, as happens in compromised visual field areas.
It is this mechanism that guides the orientation of gaze and attention towards the stimulus, reactivating visual exploration.
Stein, B E, and M A Meredith. “Multisensory integration. Neural and behavioral solutions for dealing with stimuli from different sensory modalities.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences vol. 608 (1990): 51-65; discussion 65-70. DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1990.tb48891.x
Adult brain plasticity (Maffei)
The brain reorganizes itself even in adulthood. Brain plasticity is driven by experience and repeated stimulation. Sensory and cognitive enrichment promotes new synapses and functional reorganization of cortical maps.
These processes require intensity, repetition and, above all, active involvement of the patient.
The brain does not change simply
because it is stimulated.
It changes because it is involved.
Sale A., Berardi N., Maffei L. (2014), "Environment and Brain Plasticity: Towards an Endogenous Pharmacotherapy", Physiological Reviews, 94(1):189–234.
DOI: doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00036.2012
Fields of application
Through targeted protocols that apply these principles, multisensory stimulation allows to:
- activate multisensory neurons through visual and sound stimuli coincident in space and time
- promote the reorganization of intact subcortical structures, exploiting adult brain plasticity
- strengthen, through repetition and training, the circuits involved
- improve the compensation of neuro-visual and cognitive functions
The neurophysiological concepts of Stein and Maffei have been transferred to clinical practice with promising results.
Neuro-visual telerehabilitation
The patient with AvDesk undertakes a cognitive training path that, through audiovisual stimuli, allows to compensate for neuro-visual deficits such as: hemianopsia, neglect, disorders of consciousness, Alzheimer's, cognitive and attention deficits.
Measurement of skills
AvDesk, using the most modern computer vision systems, performs continuous monitoring of the improvements obtained by the patient, customizing the individual rehabilitation or cognitive enhancement therapy daily.
Cognitive enhancement
Therapy carried out with AvDesk could induce such cognitive improvement as to significantly accelerate response times to peripheral visual stimuli for subjects seeking better sports performance or for those who perform professions that require particular visual performance such as athletes, rescue teams, airline pilots, drivers and the armed forces.
How does AvDesk work?
The principle on which this treatment is based is the multisensory stimulation of intact subcortical structures. The patient, through the stimulation panel, reacts to a series of visual and sound signals, administered according to temporal sequences and frequencies determined by a personalized therapy based on the patient's pathology and adapted over time according to their progress. To the aforementioned stimuli, the patient responds using a wirelessly connected button as a feedback interface.
The therapy is defined daily by a doctor certified by Linari Medical who is remotely connected in real time with the patient to send the personalized therapy daily in light of the disease and the results obtained.
The device measures in milliseconds the reaction time between the activation of the light stimulus, preceded by an acoustic signal, and the pressing of the wireless button by the treated subject.
The benefits of the therapy are highlighted by the detection of the reduction in response times of the patient even for the most peripheral areas of the visual field.
To ensure the effectiveness of the treatment, it is necessary to use AvDesk in a quiet and dimly lit environment in order to make both the sound and visual stimuli as evident as possible.
An IR camera constantly monitors the patient's attention level
Lightness and ease of installation thanks to the rollable carbon fiber structure
Constant control thanks to telerehabilitation
Doubling of visual skills:
1 non-continuous hour for only 20 days
Treatment of Hemianopsia
15-year-old subject: left hemianopsia. Average response time and visual detection capability.
Real-time graphs processed by the Linari Medical Cloud platform.
Before therapy
A time of 1,999 ms identifies an absence of response from the subject.
After therapy
Monitoring of residual cognitive skills
AvDesk measures residual cognitive skills by monitoring the patient's head and eye movements.
Both the gaze and the head are aligned with the stimulus, both gaps are zero because the patient performed the therapy correctly.
Tracking stimuli
with the head and with the gaze
Tracking stimuli
with the gaze and head fixed at the center
Neuro-visual rehabilitation in telemedicine
Compact, lightweight and easy to transport, AvDesk was designed to take advantage of the benefits offered by telemedicine and make it possible to use it directly at the assisted person's home.
The device is equipped with an artificial intelligence system that guides and monitors the patient, allowing them to maintain the attention level and the correct position, for the purpose of correct therapeutic adherence. This allows AvDesk to be used in the clinic or at home, without requiring the constant presence of a specialist doctor or therapist.
A Cloud space allows the doctor or therapist to consult the treatment protocol daily, download reports relating to the patient's response times and create new protocols adapted to the progress of the therapy, setting parameters such as: sound intensity, position of the audiovisual stimulus, LED color.
The data processing system on which the device is based allows exploiting the potential of teleconsultation. Specialists and experts in the healthcare sector can consult, evaluate and modify therapies, adapting them to the progress of the treatment.
At the patient's
home
Portable and easy to install, AvDesk Travel is placed on a standard desk for home rehabilitation under remote professional supervision.
Clinic
or outpatient facility
AvDesk can be positioned near the patient's bed, thanks to the new mobile cart that also allows the device to be rotated vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
Nursing
home
Suitable for geriatric patients, AvDesk enables safe exercises to stimulate attention, vision, and cognitive abilities.
Rehabilitation
centers
The Lift version of AvDesk, equipped with a motorized column and remote control, is designed for gyms, physiotherapy rooms and rehabilitation centers.
Practical and intuitive
AvDesk consists of a stimulation panel that can be rolled up on itself, lightweight and easily foldable with one hand. In its entirety, the device can be comfortably placed on a desk.
The Linari Cloud software constantly updates the AvDesk device, via the internet connection, with new treatment algorithms.
1 - Stimulation panel
A curved horizontal screen for the delivery of spatially distributed visual and acoustic stimuli.
2 - Camera
A high-resolution camera, suitable for night vision, integrated into the central panel of the curved screen and connected to the data collection unit, to control the group of light arrows in the continuous patient monitoring process.
3 - Guide arrows
Group of four light arrows designed to guide the patient's gaze in such a way as to bring it towards the center of the panel after each stimulation in order to ensure therapeutic adherence.
4 - Wireless button
A signaling interface that can be operated by the patient to interact with the device during the configuration phase and to indicate the detection of at least one delivered stimulus.
5 - Microsoft Surface
The Linari Medical Cloud platform has an intuitive interface for managing therapies and monitoring results through reports and graphs.
6 - Dedicated mini trolley
For easy transport, AvDesk can be rolled up and stored in a mini trolley with standard measurements, even for air travel.
7 - Calibration mirror
To calibrate ambient light and make the visual stimuli sent by AvDesk more evident.
Linari Medical Cloud
platform
The cloud-based solution is designed to manage medical centers and outpatient clinics.
You can use Linari Medical Cloud with AvDesk or manage the organization of devices already
present in your healthcare facility.
The Linari Medical Cloud platform is intended exclusively for medical personnel and dedicated to the
management of Medical Centers, Hospitals and Polyclinics.
With Linari Medical Cloud:
- manage health plans easily
- store health documents with the highest standards of security and privacy
- activate patient profiles
- define and deliver rehabilitation therapies in telemedicine
- produce therapy quotes
- analyze therapy results
- analyze the performance of your staff
- rent medical devices
- monitor the use of medical devices
- analyze economic forecasts
Rental of AvDesk devices
Plan the booking cycle of your medical devices or rely on our operating rental.
You choose the devices you want to rent, we'll take care of the rest.
- access innovative technologies without purchase costs
- schedule the rental period and extend it as needed
- manage shipments to patients and returns
- technical assistance
- full-risk insurance
- replacement or repair within 24 hours
- tax deductibility
Scientific literature
More than 20 years of research to develop a compensatory rehabilitative treatment for subjects with neuro-visual disorders (hemianopia, neglect, nystagmus, maculopathy) or with sports-related injuries.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any further questions, get in touch with our friendly team.
What is AvDesk?
AvDesk is a Class I medical device manufactured by Linari Medical for neurovisual and cognitive assessment and rehabilitation in telemedicine. It combines multisensory audio-visual stimulation, artificial intelligence, and the Linari Medical Cloud platform, enabling home-based use by the patient under the remote supervision of specialized physicians and therapists.
Who is AvDesk designed for?
AvDesk is intended for adult and pediatric patients, both collaborating and non-collaborating, with neurovisual and cognitive deficits including hemianopia, neglect, nystagmus, geographic atrophy, Alzheimer's disease, attention disorders, and post-stroke recovery. It is also used for cognitive enhancement in athletes, pilots, professional drivers, and military personnel who require high visual-attentional performance.
Which conditions can AvDesk treat?
AvDesk supports the clinical assessment and treatment of hemianopia, quadrantanopia, unilateral spatial neglect, nystagmus, geographic atrophy (an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration), cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease, and post-stroke rehabilitation. In pediatric care it is applied to Special Educational Needs (SEN), Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), and congenital visual-field deficits.
How does AvDesk work?
The device delivers spatially and temporally coordinated visual and auditory stimuli through a curved stimulation panel. The patient responds by pressing a wireless button or, if non-collaborating, through gaze and head tracking. An IR camera and an artificial intelligence system continuously monitor attention and posture. Reaction time, measured in milliseconds, quantifies the improvement in neurovisual abilities.
What is the scientific foundation of AvDesk?
The method rests on two established neuroscientific principles: multisensory integration described by Barry Stein and Alex Meredith (neurons in the superior colliculus amplify responses to visual and auditory stimuli that are coincident in space and time) and adult brain plasticity studied by Lamberto Maffei (synaptic reorganization driven by experience, repetition, and active patient engagement).
What is the AvDesk therapy protocol?
Treatment consists of about one hour per day (split across shorter sessions) for twenty days. The protocol is customized daily by the specialist physician remotely through Linari Medical Cloud, based on the pathology and observed progress. Significant improvements in reaction times are typically observed after just two weeks of use.
What is the difference between AvDesk Travel and AvDesk Lift?
AvDesk Travel is the portable version: a rollable carbon-fiber stimulation panel packed in a cabin-sized mini trolley, designed for home rehabilitation. AvDesk Lift features a motorized column with remote control that positions the device vertically, horizontally, or diagonally: it is designed for clinics, outpatient facilities, nursing homes, gyms, and professional rehabilitation centers.
Can AvDesk be used without a physician being physically present?
Yes. Telemedicine is the primary use paradigm. The patient performs sessions at home while the physician and therapist supervise remotely through Linari Medical Cloud. The integrated artificial intelligence system (IR camera, gaze and head tracking, guiding light arrows) automatically maintains attentional level and correct posture, ensuring therapeutic adherence even without an operator on site.
What role does artificial intelligence play in AvDesk?
The AI monitors the patient's gaze, head position, and attention in real time, verifying the correct execution of every stimulus. It adapts the therapy protocol daily based on measured progress and enables device use on non-collaborating patients, replacing the wireless button press with automatic eye tracking.
Is AvDesk a certified medical device?
Yes. AvDesk is classified as a Class I medical device and is covered by international patents valid in the European Union, Switzerland, the United States, and Japan. It is manufactured by Linari Medical srl, based in Pisa, Italy, and was developed in a long-standing collaboration with IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, an international reference center in child neuropsychiatry.
Can AvDesk be rented or does it have to be purchased?
Linari Medical offers both options. Operational leasing provides access to the device with no purchase cost, an extendable rental period, technical support included, full-risk insurance, replacement or repair within 24 hours, and tax deductibility. Linari Medical directly manages shipments to patients and returns.
Who manufactures AvDesk, and for how long has it been developed?
AvDesk is designed and manufactured by Linari Medical srl (Via Gaetano Malasoma 26, 56121 Pisa, Italy). The project originated in 2010 from the multi-year work of Linari Holding in collaboration with IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris in Pisa, building on more than twenty years of research into neurovisual deficits and neuroplasticity.