Welcome to the "Digital Twin” era. Imagine if you could test a new drug, procedure, or treatment without altering your patient’s physiology. This is becoming reality in various fields, including healthcare. Before we dive into why digital twins are beneficial to the medical field, we must first define what a “digital twin” is. In simple terms, a digital twin is a model made up of the same organs and organ systems as a real human. With these digital models, healthcare professionals can run virtual simulations to represent clinical trials performed on humans and animals. With this new cost-effective and efficient way of treating patients, doctors can introduce and test treatments without risking the lives and health of their patients.
Digital twin technology has been used in various projects to simulate human organs.
For example:
The "Living Heart Project" aims to create a digital twin of a human heart to use in educational training and treatment testing.
The "Neurotwin Project" uses brain models to develop treatment options for Alzheimer's disease.
The "HeartModel" is another clinical application using this technology to create a 3D view of a patient's heart based on a 2D ultrasound.
There is no limit to how we can utilize this type of medical technology in the healthcare field. From curing diseases to introducing new drug trials, it may be the case that a digital version of your anatomy may save your unique human one.
Thank you for reading!
Ilana Saidov
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