Abbott, a medical technology company based near Chicago, in collaboration with Blood Centers of America, has introduced a mixed-reality gaming experience designed to ease anxiety among blood donors. This initiative, currently available at 75 donation sites across 32 countries including the United States, offers donors the option to wear Samsung Galaxy XR headsets and engage with one of two interactive games during blood donation.

The two games, Zen Garden and Intergalactica, were developed by San Francisco-based Rock Paper Reality under the guidance of Abbott product manager and gamer Miguel Carrazza Morales. Zen Garden focuses on a calming experience where players nurture a virtual forest, while Intergalactica is a more interactive side-scroller that involves navigating puzzles and light battles as space explorers. The latter title debuted on World Blood Donor Day.

Carrazza’s objective with these games is twofold: to improve the donor’s experience during the procedure and to attract younger donors, specifically those aged 19 to 24, who constitute only about 6 percent of blood donations. “Most donor recruitment campaigns help to bring you into the center, but they don’t affect your actual experience while you’re donating blood,” he remarked.

A notable aspect of these games is their orchestral soundtracks, recorded by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. This collaboration marked the orchestra’s first foray into video game or interactive media music and was made possible, in part, by Abbott’s earlier donation of COVID-19 antigen tests in 2020 that supported the orchestra’s safe return to performances. Composer Joe Clark, who also taught Carrazza in college, noted that the decision to involve the Chicago Symphony represented an ambitious commitment to high-quality audio as an integral element of the gaming experience.

The technology uses mixed reality rather than full virtual reality, allowing donors to see their real surroundings with digital graphics overlayed. This approach minimizes discomfort such as dizziness and allows phlebotomists to monitor donors effectively during the blood draw. The games are designed to be controlled using eye movements alone, accommodating donors whose arms may be occupied with the donation process.

Early data suggests the program is producing positive results. According to Alex Carterson, Abbott’s vice president for medical, scientific and clinical affairs, 68 percent of donors surveyed after trying the Zen Garden game reported feeling less anxious, while 89 percent indicated that playing the game would motivate them to donate again.

At a suburban Chicago donation site, the immersive experience was described as absorbing, with the orchestral scores enhancing the games’ engaging atmospheres. For example, Zen Garden’s music features gentle piano and strings that build to lush crescendos, while Intergalactica’s soundtrack draws on lower-register instruments and sweeping melodies reminiscent of classic film scores.

The games complement various donation durations, with Intergalactica’s lengthier gameplay suited for platelet or plasma donations and the simpler Zen Garden appealing to standard whole blood donations. The developers aim to foster repeat donations by encouraging players to return and explore additional game content in subsequent visits.

This integration of mixed-reality gaming into the blood donation process represents a novel effort to reduce donor anxiety, improve the in-center experience, and ultimately increase participation among younger demographics.