[Digital twins in surgery: achievements and limitations]

Area of Science:

• Medical technology
• Surgical innovation
• Digital health

Background:

• Digital twin technology is emerging as a transformative tool in surgical practice.
• Global advancements show a trend from conceptualization to market development since 2002.
• Regulatory bodies are actively involved in translating digital models into healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review digital twin technology applications in surgery.
• To map the patent and publication landscape.
• To identify leaders in digital twin technology for surgery.

Main Methods:

• Scientometric analysis
• Patent analysis

Main Results:

• The global trend of "digital twins in surgery" shows distinct phases of development: conceptual (2002), academic (2007-2014), regulatory involvement (2014), business sector (2014-2017), and market development (2018-2021).
• No Russian-language articles on digital twins in surgery were found in WOS-indexed journals by late 2021.
• The Russian Federation ranks 23rd globally in patent applications for digital twin technologies in surgery.

Conclusions:

• Extensive global research and collaboration have established digital twin technology in surgery, involving research centers, hospitals, companies, and regulators.
• Technological ecosystems and market leaders have emerged worldwide.
• The Russian Federation shows insufficient development in this field, lacking crucial industry customers and beneficiaries.