Doctors Use Digital 'Twins' to Treat Irregular Heartbeats

A new study suggests custom computer models could improve outcomes for patients with ventricular tachycardia.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 9:03pm

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Scientists at Johns Hopkins University have created virtual replicas of patients' diseased hearts that can be used to test treatments before performing them on the real patient. In a small clinical trial, this 'digital twin' technology helped doctors better target the source of dangerous irregular heartbeats, leading to improved outcomes for 8 out of 10 patients with ventricular tachycardia.

Why it matters

Ventricular tachycardia is a major cause of sudden cardiac arrest, which claims around 300,000 lives in the U.S. each year. Current treatments like ablation can be hit-or-miss, requiring lengthy procedures as doctors hunt for the source of the arrhythmia. The digital twin approach could make these procedures more precise and effective, potentially improving care and outcomes for patients with this life-threatening condition.

The details

The digital twin technology uses advanced MRI scans and other data to create a detailed 3D computer model of a patient's diseased heart. Doctors can then virtually 'test' different treatment approaches on the digital twin to see how the real heart might respond before performing the procedure. In the study, the Hopkins team used the digital twins to identify the precise regions of the heart where the electrical signals were misfiring, allowing them to target those areas with ablation rather than hunting blindly.

  • The study was published on April 1, 2026 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
  • The digital twin technology has been in development for around 15 years, with more rudimentary versions tested as far back as 2011.

The players

Natalia Trayanova

A biomedical engineer at Johns Hopkins University who pioneered the digital twin technology used in the study.

Dr. Jeffrey Goldberger

A heart specialist at the University of Miami who experimented with early versions of digital heart models 15 years ago and praised the new findings.

Dr. Jonathan Chrispin

The lead author of the study and a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins.

The Food and Drug Administration

The agency that allowed the use of digital twin technology to guide treatment for the 10 patients in the initial clinical trial.

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What they’re saying

“This is what we envisioned.”

— Dr. Jeffrey Goldberger, heart specialist at the University of Miami

“We treat the twin before we treat the patient. Did it work? And if it did, are there new things that arise' that will require more or different care?”

— Natalia Trayanova, biomedical engineer at Johns Hopkins University

“It allows me to recreate the functioning of the patient's organ and then predict what is the best way to ablate.”

— Natalia Trayanova, biomedical engineer at Johns Hopkins University

“We could potentially make these procedures shorter, safer, more effective.”

— Dr. Jonathan Chrispin, lead author of the study and cardiologist at Johns Hopkins

What’s next

The Hopkins team plans to study the digital twin approach in a larger trial with other hospitals, and has begun a trial using it to treat atrial fibrillation, a more common type of irregular heartbeat.

The takeaway

This innovative use of digital twin technology holds promise for improving care and outcomes for patients with life-threatening heart rhythm disorders. By allowing doctors to virtually 'test' treatments before performing them, the approach could make procedures more precise, effective, and safer for patients.