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of the human body.
This enables doctors to explore different treatment options without putting the patient at risk.
Applications in surgery and personalised medicine
Digital twins can have a wide range of applications in medicine.
One of the most promising is surgical planning. Before carrying out a complex operation, surgeons can simulate different strategies and analyse which different strategies and analyse which offers better results.
They can also be used to evaluate drug treatments or to study how a disease will progress in each patient.
This approach paves the way for a much more personalised form of medicine.
Current research
Various research groups are developing digital models of organs and physiological systems to improve clinical decision-making.
For example, some research teams are creating virtual models of the oesophagus or the heart which enable them to simulate surgical procedures and analyse their potential effects before operating on the actual patient.
Although we are still in the early stages, this technology could reduce complications, improve clinical outcomes and optimise the planning of treatments.
A medicine that is increasingly based more and more on data
The development of digital twins is closely linked to advances in artificial intelligence, the analysis of medical data and computational modelling.
The combination of these technologies is giving rise to a new discipline known as computational medicine, which aims to integrate biology, computer science and clinical data to improve healthcare.
Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
What is a digital twin in medicine?
It is a virtual representation of a patient’s body or an organ, created using real medical data.
What are digital twins used for?
They enable the simulation of treatments, surgical procedures or the progression of diseases before they are applied to the patient.
Are they already in use in hospitals?
They are still mainly at the research stage, although some clinical trials are already evaluating their use.
What technologies enable the creation of digital twins?
Primarily artificial intelligence, computational modelling and medical data analysis.
What benefits might there be for the patients?
They could improve treatment planning and reduce risks during complex procedures.
Sources
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-021-00745-8
https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/41/48/4556/5901158
https://www.livescience.com/health/making-a-digital-twin-of-yourself-could-revolutionize-future-surgeries-making-medical-procedures-much-more-personal