What: Recognising that clinical workflow is a key predictor of patient outcomes, researchers with the Mayo Clinic developed a digital twin of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). A key challenge in creating a digital twin is properly conceptualising the different parts of a system and how they interact. To solve this, qualitative interviews and focus groups were conducted with clinicians, nurses and allied health. From this the team developed a hybrid simulation model capturing both system state and individual movement through the system. That model then underwent a series of validation iterations with prospectively recruited patients. The final product accurately modelled the state of the ICU at any time point and was used to model the effect of different management policies on patient outcomes. Overall, this was a significant, multi-stage process taking in model conceptualisation, systems engineering, qualitative and quantitative data collection, a real-time utilisation study and the computational modelling of interventions. 

What: Osso VR is a leading virtual reality surgical training and assessment platform. It offers custom-developed VR modules, early career healthcare professional (HCP) training, and extensive research resources. The platform enhances learning, improves procedural competency, and provides detailed performance analytics. Osso VR's technology supports medical device companies and healthcare professionals by enabling realistic, immersive training experiences that accelerate skill acquisition and improve patient outcomes.

What: Organovo, founded in 2007 and based in San Diego, pioneer’s 3D printing in tissue engineering. Their technology, licensed from the University of Missouri, utilizes droplet-based, inkjet, and continuous deposition methods to create human cell-based tissues without exogenous scaffolds or plastic culture dishes. These tissues closely mimic human physiology, making them valuable for in-depth in vitro studies and potentially reducing reliance on animal models in drug testing. Organovo aims to develop biocompatible tissues for transplantation, starting with smaller tissue grafts such as liver patches. These grafts have shown promise in animal studies, demonstrating stable engraftment and protein circulation akin to human liver function. The company targets paediatric inborn errors of metabolism and acute-on-chronic liver failure for initial applications, seeking FDA approval to advance into clinical trials.​

What: Unlearn is an AI and digital twin company seeking to reduce the cost and increase the effectiveness of clinical trials. By creating simplified digital twins of human trial participants, Unlearn can model the effect of that participant being enrolled in the placebo arm of a trial. Being able to model a digital placebo arm means that trials can enrol a greater proportion of participants into treatment (which can also boost overall enrolment numbers since most potential participants would prefer the treatment) and it can also boost the statistical power of the trial, resulting in a need for fewer participants overall. As a statistical methodology, the use of digital twin controls has received approval from the European Medicines Agency  and Unlearn is in the process of proving that its digital twins accurately represent the disease progression of physical participants in a control arm.