Kirsten Osgood would love a visit from an adorable therapy dog during her long hours of chemotherapy, but her compromised immune system has made her sensitive to dander.
So she accepted an unlikely alternative cuddling companion, a robot named Paro.
The white fur-covered device is modeled after a squealing harp seal, vastly different from a clunky metal machine circling the floor like Osgood imagined.
"Isn't it cute?" Osgood said, stroking Paro's face. "Open your eyes."
The seal blinked open its lashed eyes and squealed.
Osgood, who is being treated for ovarian cancer at UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, found herself instantly charmed by the $8,000 device. Five kinds of sensors allow Paro to respond to its name, fall asleep when the lights go out, coo and flap when petted and look in the direction of a human voice.
Researchers elsewhere have found that Paro reduces stress among Alzheimer's patients and improves their motivation and socialization. Now a UCI study is exploring whether the robot can improve quality of life for women with gynecological cancers.
"We know that quality of life is a very important predictor of survival in ovarian cancer," said Dr. Krishnansu Tewari, director of research in gynecological oncology at UCI. "The theory is patients who have a good quality of life have a stronger immune system, and a stronger immune system lets you fight the cancer better."
The year-long study began last month. Some participants are randomly selected to interact with Paro, while others read, watch TV or rest. Both sets of patients are surveyed before and after their treatment on mood, pain and quality of life.
"I found it soothing," Osgood said. "I was surprised I could like a toy that much. It just acted like a pet."
Osgood, an artist who lives in Apple Valley, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in August 2009, with a tumor larger than a cantaloupe. She has had two surgeries and many rounds of chemo.
"It did make the day go much, much better, much faster because of all the interaction," Osgood said. "The nurses all came in and took pictures, which is different than when they come in with the needles."
Tewari said studies have shown that patients benefit from visits with therapy animals. He said Paro might be able to mimic the nurturing experience for patients who feel anxiety about the chemo and their long-term prognosis.
Paro's Japanese manufacturer donated four robots to UCI for the study. The robot's designers intentionally chose a seal rather than a companion animal.
"They purposely picked an animal people don't really interact with regularly," Tewari said. "It makes the reality check a little less. If they had made a golden retriever dog robot, they'd think of it as more of a toy."
Dr. Ramez Eskander, a gynecological oncologist, said patients have chemo anywhere from once a week to every three weeks. Sessions can last a few hours or all day. A pacifier-looking device takes two and a half hours to charge Paro. The robot can operate for 90 minutes.
On a recent morning, like Osgood, Eskander found himself talking to Paro and scratching its chin
"Even though it's not real, you develop a relationship with this animal," Eskander said.
