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A digital, 3D simulation of a lung which can simulate different medical problems
In the not-too-distant future, an entirely digital version of you could test whether medical procedures or drugs will work while your real body is untouched.
It sounds like an episode of dark sci-fi show Black Mirror, but reality is catching up.
The Auckland Bioengineering Institute has been working for more than 20 years on creating digital twins of people accurate right down to the atom in order to improve medical and physiological treatment.
The idea is that, by having a digital version of yourself, not only will medical professionals have a better idea of the symptoms you have to begin with, they can also test how a treatment would affect your body.
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For example, your digital self could be given a medical drug to see how its going to help you and what any side effects might be, said ABI deputy director professor Merryn Tawhai.
Along with other innovations researchers are working on, the concept is on display at The Cloud in Auckland as part of a showcase by the ABI.
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A belt that can be used at home is able to send tiny signals into the body, to let people with chronic lung problems know if theyre okay
Its something we have been working on for the past 30 years, Tawhai said.
It can represent your clinical data but it also allows us to create virtual cohorts for clinical trials.
Tests can be done on specific age groups or pathology types in a faster timeframe and with no risk to people, she said.
Tawhai did note that there would still need to be discussions about how to safe keep your digital clone and who would have access to it.
The showcase also allows researchers to help inspire the next generation, she said.
There are a lot of very bright people who go into medicine, but could easily have gone into engineering and biomedical engineering and ended up influencing thousands of lives.
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Dr Joyce John, left, shows the effects of vaping on the lungs.
One invention on display is a belt attached to a series of sensors, which could be used at home by people with chronic lung problems to detect whether they have any problems needing medical attention.
The belt sends tiny signals into the body, which the electrical impedance tomography device uses to feed back data on how much fluid is in the lungs.
A gadget like that usually costs more than $50,000 in the US.
Tawhai said that although there isnt a price for the device yet, as theres still a little work to be done on it, but it currently costs $200 to make one with that figure expected to drop.
The device could help people with potential heart failure or chronic asthma, she said.
Other tech on display includes a needle-free injection, which shoots out a liquid drug at a speed fast enough to break through the skin.
Post-doctoral fellow Dr Joyce John said one part of the research the lung team was looking at was replicating how particles move through a persons airways when theyre vaping.
It will help researchers model and simulate the long-term effects of vaping, which is still a relatively new activity, she said.
The Auckland Bioengineering Institute showcase runs until May 14 at The Cloud in Aucklands Viaduct.
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Scientists create digital doppelgangers to test drugs on your behalf - Stuff
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