Digital twin technology advances personalized medical treatment

Medical researchers are advancing the use of ‘digital twins’—AI-powered virtual replicas of patients—to personalize healthcare and predict treatment outcomes.

At the University of Vermont, trauma surgeon Gary An has received a research and development contract worth up to $38 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). This five-year initiative aims to model a patient’s unique immune response in real time to assist in treating critical illness. If successful, the technology could potentially reduce intensive care unit (ICU) stays by at least 25 percent.

In specialized fields such as spine medicine, digital twin technology is being utilized to create comprehensive models incorporating a patient’s unique anatomy, movement patterns, and pain responses. By integrating data from MRI, CT scans, and wearable sensors, clinicians can virtually test multiple treatment scenarios to improve precision in surgical and rehabilitative planning.