In the biomedical engineering lab, he works on 3D virtual versions of his patients, also known as Digital Twins. These twins help the doctor and his team analyze blood vessels, muscles and more before deciding the best course of treatment.
What is really a digital twin?
A digital twin is a real-world object or a human computer-based copy. It receives real -time data from its original source, which helps doctors to make accurate medical decisions. This concept appeared in aerospace engineering for the first time, but is now being used in hospitals.
Using the results of the sensor and medical testing, the doctor can make a virtual model of a patient and try various surgery or treatment before doing anything to the real patient.
Digital twins in IIT Madras
Professor R Krishnakumar, who designed digital twins for tire companies, is now headed by Biomedical Engineering Lab at IIT-M. Quoted by Toi, he said, “Give us a patient’s medical records, and his digital twin will be ready in 45 minutes. After an hour, doctors can test treatment options on this synthetic patient.”
Sometimes, doctors do not require a full 3D model, a simple graph can help them decide whether the patient requires a life-safety equipment such as intra-mahaadhamani balloon pump. According to Krishnakumar, “Nine out of ten, the decision of the system has been correct.”
How do surgeons use digital twins
Surgeons of Zipper (Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research) in Puducherry are also working with digital twin children. He has created 3D models of the brain to plan surgery for the deep seated tumors quoted by TOI. This is done using rehearsal virtual reality (VR), which helps doctors to practice every step and avoid risky areas.
Once the plan is prepared, it is loaded into a computer-guided system that helps during real surgery by overlaying the virtual passage on the real-time view of the brain using a decorated reality (AR).
What’s next in digital twin tech?
Dr. According to Gopalakrishnan, the next step is to respond to digital twins during live surgery. “If I move the lobe of a patient’s brain in the operating room, the virtual twin should tell me what can happen next,” he said.
This level of smart interaction may soon be possible using physics-informed nervous network (PINN). These twins allow children to be clever and more accurate, even when data is limited or biological processes are complicated.
Beyond surgery: Management of chronic diseases
Digital twins are not just for surgery. In cancer care, doctors use them to test treatment and reduce side effects. In diabetes, they help track sugar levels and suggest changes in lifestyle that can also reverse the disease.
A general medical specialist Dr. cited by Toi. Arjun Suresh said, “Now, we treat sugar levels reactivly. With real -time data from digital twins and glucose monitors, we can be active.”
Dr. A team led by Rajan Ravichandran is also working on using digital twins to predict kidney problems in diabetic patients.
A new era of drug discovery
Digital twins are also helping in the development of medicine. They make it possible to perform virtual clinical testing and drug responses without using real humans. It saves time and money.
Some challenges still remain
Although technology is promising, doctors believe that this is not correct. Dr. Balakrishnan said, “There are still issues with data quality, how we use models, and people train them to use them well. Also, there are moral concerns about how much impact these devices should have on treatment decisions.”
Nevertheless, as digital twins are more clever and more accessible, they can become a regular part of treatment, guide doctors, save life, and make the drug more precise than ever.
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