A digital twin (DT) is a virtual counterpart of a real patient with predictive and testing capability through realistic simulation, modeling, and visualization. A digital model of the real patient recapitulates the physical body of the patient and predicts the future outcome including tissue deformation via modeling the organs and physiology. Digital twin is a new concept in medicine, which allows virtual interactions with the body before real interventions and can thus improve surgical precision. In this high-impact/high-risk project, we propose to develop a digital twin augmented reality (DTAR) platform for the operating room (OR) of the future. Our first application is to explore the pote...

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A digital twin (DT) is a virtual counterpart of a real patient with predictive and testing capability through realistic simulation, modeling, and visualization. A digital model of the real patient recapitulates the physical body of the patient and predicts the future outcome including tissue deformation via modeling the organs and physiology. Digital twin is a new concept in medicine, which allows virtual interactions with the body before real interventions and can thus improve surgical precision. In this high-impact/high-risk project, we propose to develop a digital twin augmented reality (DTAR) platform for the operating room (OR) of the future. Our first application is to explore the potential use of DTAR for laparoscopic surgery. More than 13 million laparoscopic procedures are performed globally each year. Compared to open operations, laparoscopic surgery has lower intraoperative blood loss, reduced length of hospital stays, and improved postoperative outcomes. However, laparoscopic surgery lacks haptic feedback, and the sense of touch is missing during the surgical procedure. This deficit needs to be compensated by enhanced visualization in order to reduce potential damage to blood vessels, nerves, or other vital tissue/organs in the surgical field. A digital twin that simulates tissue deformation and sense of touch and therefore can compensate for the limitation of laparoscopic surgery. With feedback mechanisms, a digital twin will be synchronized dynamically with the real patient and then guide the surgeon to the next steps. Digital twin augmented reality can provide surgeons with a powerful tool to enhance their ability to perform complex procedures and can be particularly useful in laparoscopic surgery for improving surgical outcomes.

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