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Digital Twins in the Metaverse: An Overview and Their Applications in Healthcare

Abstract

Digital twins (DTs) are quickly spreading across many areas. More and more people are interested in how DTs could be used in healthcare in the metaverse. People can communicate with virtual avatars and environments in a digital world called the metaverse. Because of how quickly digitalization and robotics are changing things, the health care industry has grown a lot. Many new models have been made because of this growth, which offers cheaper and more flexible ways to give medications. The Metaverse is a new type of digital technology that could be very useful in healthcare. It lets doctors and patients have more in-depth experiences with each other. Intelligent machines, the Internet of Medical Devices, virtual and augmented reality, and robots are some of the technologies used in the Metaverse. It gives people the chance to think of new ways to treat and provide better health care. When these technologies work together, they make sure that the care a patient receives is personalized, engaging, and tailored to their specific needs. Furthermore, it provides flexible and smart choices that lower barriers between medical professionals and patients. This chapter gives a thorough look at the metaverse and what it might mean for health care in the future. This chapter talks about the newest advances, the technology needed to use the metaverse in healthcare, and the possible applications.

Keywords: Digital twin, virtual reality, augmented reality, treatment, patient care, personalized care, healthcare, metaverse

1.1 Introduction

Digital twins (DTs) are a big part of the current industrial revolution because they use the Internet of Things (IoT) and advanced data analysis to change many industries in basic ways [1]. The broad use of IoT technology has made it much easier to access data in many areas, including manufacturing [2], healthcare [3], and smart cities [4]. With the development of full data analytics tools and the widespread availability of data in fields like manufacturing and smart cities, new applications have become possible, such as automated maintenance and problem identification, as well as improvements to manufacturing and smart city facilities [5]. Further, DTs are necessary for smart city traffic management to work well [6], as well as for improving healthcare operations and finding problems in systems that look for them [7]. The instances beyond show how useful digital twins are for making processes more efficient and improving business effectiveness in many different areas [8, 9]. Organizations are able to gain valuable insights and make data-driven decisions because to the DT environment's facilitation of continuous and efficient information transfer across the digital and physical realms. Integration enhances operational efficiency, promotes a more profound comprehension of intricate systems, and facilitates the search of optimization across multiple domains. By utilizing digital twins, a variety of fields can investigate novel opportunities for optimizing allocation of resources, predictive maintenance deployment, and process enhancement. So, this might lead to more efficiency, less expenses, and better results for the business as a whole.

Since its inception as a concept in Neal Stephenson's acclaimed science fiction book Snow Crash, the metaverse has grown into a digitally generated universe that incorporates actual economic systems. The concept involves the seamless incorporation of immersive communal spaces that seamlessly combine materials from the human, physical, and digital domains [10]. The metaverse is making the transition from a theoretical concept to an actual phenomenon as a result of the ongoing advancements in numerous technologies. All of the following are included: devices with sensors [11], non-fungible tokens (NFTs) [12], augmented reality (AR) [13], 5G connection [14], DTs [15], blockchain [16], VR [17], interfaces between brains and computers [18], and AI [19]. These developments have garnered significant global attention, prompting major technological companies such as Microsoft, Tencent, NVIDIA, and Meta (previously Facebook) to allocate resources to their ongoing advancement [20]. The metaverse's development can be comprehended through the examination of three distinct phases: digital twin, digital natives, and the development of surreality. The primary objective of the initial phase is to generate comprehensive digital twin representations of individuals and objects in virtual environments, thereby precisely replicating the actual world in a dynamic digital format. In the field of digital twins, specifically with avatars, there is a lot of evidence of people actively participating in metaverse content generation and innovation. This phenomenon essentially eliminates the conventional distinctions among the physical and virtual domains. In the final stage, the metaverse undergoes a transformation into a surreal domain that is both self-sustaining and enduring. The capacity of the metaverse to merge the real and virtual worlds in such a natural way allows it to overcome the limitations of the physical world, leading to this evolution [21].

The metaverse has experienced significant progress in a variety of sectors, like social networking, diagnostics, and approach to treatment. Nevertheless, its application in the medical field, particularly in the medical evaluation, therapy, and assessment of disease, need further investigation, cautiously consideration, and scholarly investigation. Integrating many technologies including distributed systems, extended and mixed reality, AI, fast internet, blockchain, and virtual and extended reality creates the metaverse, a merging of the actual and virtual worlds. A revolutionary transition in healthcare may be initiated by the convergence of multiple elements, which could have substantial implications for clinical practice and overall health [22]. Healthcare professionals can participate with patient in a personalized and remarkable approach, which leads to improved patient satisfaction and care, as a result of the metaverse's immersive and interactive features [23]. The efficiency and effectiveness of medical procedures are further improved by the metaverse, which allows for the smooth transfer of resources and information. Therefore, the metaverse could make big changes in the health care field.

1.2 Introduction to Metaverse

Researchers explain that he metaverse is a digital space where people can connect with each other virtually. It includes many things, like social networking, web-based games, augmented reality, and virtual reality [24]. The "metaverse" is a network of shared, realistic virtual worlds that are all linked to each other. People can do many things in these virtual places, such as making purchases, playing games, making friends, and doing work-related tasks [25]. A hypothetical or newly imagined networked virtual environment where users inhabit digitally permanent environments as avatars and engage in real-time communication. Any user with an internet connection, augmented or virtual reality headset, game console, mobile device, or desktop computer can join this shared virtual world [26].

Metaverse healthcare is patient-centered, offering a unique blend of interactive, immersive, and recreational services to each user. The Metaverse is a collection of cutting-edge technological advancements like blockchain, DT, telepresence, augmented reality, and virtual reality. These advances have considerable significance for the healthcare sector. The usage of such technological developments provides opportunity to investigate innovative methods for providing therapy at lower costs, therefore enhancing patient results. The Metaverse is a digital world that employs the web to generate a digital universe, whereby human behaviors along with emotions are simulated [27]. The idea encompasses the whole economic and social framework of the real and virtual worlds [28]. Metaverse technology has the ability to aid healthcare practitioners in the efficiency for preparation and treatment of disorders [29].

With the Metaverse platform, doctors may convert CT scans into 3D reconstructions using VR goggles, which improve surgical preoperative preparation. With this ability, surgeons can more precisely observe, understand, and utilize vital anatomical components to carry out life-saving operations [30]. The technologies provided by the Metaverse facilitate improved prescription therapy. EaseVR serves as a pertinent example of a prescription-based solution that utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy to cater to the needs of persons suffering from back pain, employing virtual reality headsets and controllers [31]. These methods address the physiological components of pain by facilitating the formation of interoceptive awareness, deep relaxation, and concentrate diverting. Reconstructing various anatomical features is an intricate part of plastic surgery [32]. The incorporation of VR into the Metaverse could profoundly influence the domain of plastic surgery. Using VR technology, patients can see on virtual avatars what the possible outcomes of a planned surgery would be. With this information, patients can fully understand the possible results, which helps them make better decisions with their surgeon. Effective Metaverse surgeries require a deep understanding of the human body and experience using...