Belgium/Digital twins: your virtual clone for better care and a healthier life
A digital twin is a virtual copy of an object, machine, car or aircraft engine. It can be used to check wear and tear, operation and predict breakdowns. This technology has been used for decades in industry.
Today, medicine is taking a very close interest. Digital twins make it possible to anticipate the reaction of your organs, your metabolism and, perhaps tomorrow, to predict new pathologies.
Monitoring blood sugar levels in intensive care patients
At the University Hospital of Liège, researchers at the Giga Institute have developed a software program to monitor the blood sugar levels of individual patients. "It's decision-support software," explains Vincent Uytendael, founder of Insilicare, a spin-off from the University of Liège. "We use a digital twin that represents the patient's Glucose and Insulin system. And based on the parameters collected, we'll be able to identify the patient's response to treatment and recommend the appropriate dose, based on simulations carried out on the patient."
The advantage of this digital twin is that it enables us to tailor treatment much more precisely to each patient's individual response. Here, treatment is personalized.
"This technique also enables us to improve patient monitoring," adds the head of the intensive care department at LIège University Hospital. "This kind of artificial intelligence helps us to better anticipate any clinical changes, more quickly than before," continues Bernard Lambermont.
Cancer cell twins to improve treatments
At UC Louvain, digital twins of cancer cells are being developed to improve treatments, which are now more precise and better targeted.
With a digital twin of a tumor, we've found new methods that give much more radiation at the start of treatment and less at the end," explains Benoît Macq.
"Before, doctors gave the same dose every day. Today, thanks to these adaptations, the tumor is destroyed more quickly and there is less collateral damage in proton therapy treatment", concludes the professor of artificial intelligence at UC Louvain.
Twins herald major advances
These digital twins herald major advances in the field of medicine. For Benoît Macq, this research is comparable to the discovery of vaccines.
"Vaccines have increased life expectancy from 30 to 70 years. Digital twins will make it possible to live in better health from 70 to 90 years."
Tomorrow, the aim will be to combine all these digital twins of organs or organ systems to arrive at digital twins of entire patients, which will be the first step towards the creation of a "digital twin".This will enable us to make predictions about the whole body", says Thomas Desaive, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Liège.
Today we're very interested in cancer and cardiovascular disease, diabetes and kidney disease, tomorrow we'll be looking at neurological diseases", promises Benoît Macq. "We'll manage to make very early biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease and treat them, perhaps even before the first symptoms arrive."
Wallonia is at the forefront of this field of research. In fact, the region's delegation will be presenting the topic at the Osaka World Expo, which kicks off next April.
Source: www.rtbf.be/article/
