INTEROSSEI

lumbricals neuromuscular technology therapy interface powered communication system

 

In the United States alone, an estimated 95 million households own a desktop or laptop¹ with a computer keyboard, and this number is growing. However, as computer keyboard use has increased, we have witnessed an epidemic of debilitating and expensive ‘typing disease’, also known as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), Median Nerve Entrapment, Overuse strain injury, Repetitive Motion Injury, Repetitive Motion Sickness, Repetitive Strain Disorder, Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI), Repetitive strain injury, Upper Extremity Disorder, or Upper Extremity Compressive Neuropathy.

Almost three decades ago, The National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health(NIOSH)² estimated that as of 1997 U.S. businesses spent $13 billion annually on RSI-related disorders and $100 billion per year on related losses, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Repeated trauma accounts for 62% of all work-related illnesses according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

U.S. Department of Labor reported that of all work related injuries, CTS was then the #1 reason for absenteeism on the job. It was estimated that over 5,000,000 Americans were afflicted by CTS and The National Center of Health estimated another 1,000,000 new cases would be diagnosed annually. In the 1990s, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimated that during the next five years one in six computer users would develop some form of RSI, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. That prediction was based on an average use of only two hours per day and has proven insightful.

Twenty years later, by 2018, ‘’ Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is [still] the most common upper extremity compressive neuropathy [with] approximately 3% [9.4 million] in the general population³ and nearly 8% [12.5 million] in the working population.⁴ From 1996 to 2006, the annual number of carpal tunnel releases [major wrist surgery to slice the ligament holding the wrist bones in place] . . . increased by 38% (from 360 000 to 577 000).’’⁵ And average use is about 2 hours and 22 minutes per day, with 2400 to 3000 button clicks an hour, on average.⁶

The State of California issued regulations to combat the problem, dubbed “the occupational hazard of the ’90s.” Rulings in New York were expected to find companies legally liable for the working “environment” that contributes to CTS and related disorders. New state laws around the country on employer and manufacturer liability for CTS injuries and possible federal regulation mandating safe computers require truly effective solutions to improve the safety of computer keyboard use.

There are a plethora of training programs (posture, break timing, etc.,) on the market as well as peripheral devices touting ‘improved ergonomics,’ including so-called natural keyboards. However, none of these address the primary mechanical contributor to CTS –the antiquated layout of the keyboard itself.

While the natural keyboards and wrist supports, etc., may improve the comfort of the typist, they have not been proven to reduce the incidence of CTS. (Indeed, Microsoft and other providers are
careful not to make such a claim. For a while, Logitech included a warning about keyboard use.) One reason is that the keys are still arranged in the QWERTY format of 19^th  Century typewriters –
QWERTY was specifically developed to slow typing down by placing the keys in a purposely inefficient format in order to reduce the incidence of the hammers hitting each other and sticking. In clinical studies, when keyboard keys have been rearranged in the more efficient configuration developed by INTEROSSEI , the primary causes of the onset of symptoms of CTS have been found to be statistically reduced by 30-90%. At the same time, typing speeds have been shown to improve by an average 30%, if speed is the goal.

Surprisingly, a solution like INTEROSSEI , which reduces both symptoms and severity of CTS and improves productivity, has been slow in coming. The truth is, left to their own, individual keyboarders are reluctant to spend the time to learn a new keyboard configuration. Before the financial impact of CTS was fully known, employers also did not have the incentive to introduce a new format keyboard. The average cost per user for a new keyboard and training combined is
only about $500. As a result, even though and studies have shown keyboarders type on average 30% faster and become proficient in the new INTEROSSEI format in less than eight hours – 1/3 of the time taken to learn QWERTY, the market for an efficient keyboard layout was small. However, the market for an effective mechanical solution to symptoms of CTS is large and growing. And INTEROSSEI is alone for having a fully developed solution, after clinical trials, for recognition as an FDA allowed powered communication system.

Because of the boom in awareness of the seriousness – medical and financial – of CTS and other Repetitive Stress Injuries, dozens of companies are rushing to introduce “ergonomic” keyboards and everything from “CTS treatment cream” to hand exercise reminding screen savers. However, unlike INTEROSSEI , they are not publicly seeking FDA review for the “effective treatment to delay the onset of symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.” As such, they will not likely satisfy the stipulations of the coming federal and state ergonomic legislation and thereby reduce many companies’ financial exposure to RSI.

Not only is INTEROSSEI the only effective solution addressing the primary cause of symptoms of CTS, hand and finger flexion and extension, –currently available, because of the FDA review
process, it is substantially ahead of any direct competition.

INTEROSSEI has a strategy to rapidly position its format as the new keyboard standard of choice for many corporations and individuals interested in lowering their exposure to the risks of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome while maximizing their productivity. They simply reformat legacy keyboards by downloading the application into its computer’s internal system preferences. As a product that is FDA allowed for the amelioration of CTS, we believe INTEROSSEI will effectively overturn the current argument by many computer vendors that the keyboard cannot be made substantially safer. Corporations and individuals will have a clear choice between the keyboard format demonstrated to be safer than the traditional QWERTY format, which is barbed wire technology.