A Cincinnati Children's nurse, Abby Hess, DNP, released a video game designed to help pediatric patients put on an anesthesia mask and fall asleep before surgery.
The gaming program, called EZ Induction, allows patients to move cartoon animals on a tablet through breathing. The hospital's venture capital arm, Cincinnati Children's Innovation Ventures, helped Dr. Hess fund, test and create the app when she came to them with the idea.
The game has been licensed to LittleSeed Calming Technologies, which plans to launch EZ Induction this year, according to an April 11 Cincinnati Children's news release.
"The game shifts the focus from something scary to something that's calming and fun," Dr. Hess said in the release. "It easily engages kids, teaches them to breathe calmly, and lets them know what to expect when they go back to the operating room. Seeing their child engage with the game also helps parents feel at ease and provides them with a novel way to coach their child during the process."