TU/e and Catharina Hospital Use Digital Twins to Shape the Future of Personalized Heart Care

TU/e and Catharina Hospital Use Digital Twins to Shape the Future of Personalized Heart Care

(IN BRIEF) Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and Catharina Hospital, including cardiologist Prof. Lukas Dekker and PhD candidate Carlijn Buck, are pioneering the use of “digital twins” to advance personalized care for heart patients. This innovative approach creates virtual models of patients based on data from medical scans and wearables, allowing for tailored treatments and early intervention, potentially saving lives by predicting risks, such as arrhythmias, after heart attacks. While the technology is still in development, this research under the COMBAT-VT project—part of the Eindhoven MedTech Innovation Center—promises a future where healthcare is more personalized, efficient, and responsive to individual needs. This press release was authored by Thomas Møller Christensen.

(PRESS RELEASE) EINDHOVEN, 1-Nov-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — In an innovative leap toward personalized healthcare, researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and Catharina Hospital are developing “digital twins” to create virtual models of patients, helping physicians tailor care to individual heart patients’ needs. Led by cardiologist Prof. Lukas Dekker and PhD candidate Carlijn Buck, this pioneering project, part of the COMBAT-VT initiative, uses data from wearables and medical scans to simulate patient health, predicting conditions and optimizing treatments.

A digital twin, as envisioned by TU/e and Catharina Hospital researchers, goes beyond a simple model, offering a dynamic, real-time, data-rich representation of each patient. For heart patients, this technology means that doctors could predict complications like arrhythmias before they occur, allowing them to intervene at the earliest opportunity and prevent potential health crises. “The idea is that we can offer care that’s not only timely but also specifically tuned to the patient’s needs, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach,” explains Prof. Dekker, cardiologist-electrophysiologist at Catharina Hospital and professor at TU/e.

The development of digital twins for heart patients could transform how healthcare is delivered by leveraging real-time patient data from wearable devices, such as smartwatches, alongside hospital-grade diagnostics. These inputs allow physicians to monitor patients remotely and make informed decisions about when intervention is needed, sparing the healthcare system unnecessary strain and focusing resources on patients who most need detailed monitoring. “If we know certain patients are at higher risk, a digital twin helps us prioritize those who require more intensive care, while simpler models can be used for patients with lower risk profiles,” Buck explains.

Funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and housed under the Eindhoven MedTech Innovation Center (e/MTIC)—a collaborative effort involving TU/e, Catharina Hospital, Philips, and regional health centers—this research demonstrates the power of cross-disciplinary cooperation. By combining healthcare expertise with technology, the COMBAT-VT project is pioneering ways to make healthcare more precise and accessible.

Despite the promise of digital twins, both Dekker and Buck emphasize the irreplaceable role of doctors in healthcare. “While the digital twin provides vital information, it does not replace the nuances of patient care that only human clinicians can deliver. It’s a tool to enhance—not replace—the expertise of doctors,” Buck notes. The aim is for digital twins to act as a valuable aid for healthcare providers, providing individualized data-driven insights without compromising the patient’s experience or the essential human touch of medicine.

Though in its early stages, this technology holds enormous potential. As development progresses, TU/e and Catharina Hospital’s research offers a glimpse into a future where healthcare is personalized, efficient, and profoundly patient-centered, setting a new standard in the treatment and management of heart health.

Media Contact:

Nicole van Overveld
Science Information Officer
+31 (0)6 51 925 937
n.w.m.p.v.overveld@tue.nl

SOURCE: TU/e