Digital twin aims to further understanding of bladder dysfunction

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An Anglo-US partnership is developing a digital twin of the bladder in an effort to understand dysfunction in the organ.

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Sheffield University and the University of Pittsburgh are developing the digital twin to simulate how the bladder’s structure and ability to fill/void changes in response to an obstruction.

The project - A Digital Twin for Designing Bladder Treatment informed by Bladder Outlet Obstruction Mechanobiology (BOOM) - has been awarded a $3.2m NIH-R01 grant, with around $500k allocated to Sheffield University.

Bladder Outlet Obstruction (BOO) is a contributory factor to lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) that affect ageing men and is characterised by a blockage at the base of the bladder, with symptoms including abdominal pain, difficulty urinating and a continuous feeling of a full bladder. Around 50 - 75 per cent of men aged over 50 experience LUTS due to BOO, rising to 80 per cent for over 70s.

In a statement, Dr Paul Watton, head of Sheffield University’s Department of Computer Science’s Complex Systems Modelling research group, said: “This is something that affects more than 200 million people across the world and as the population continues to age, it’s only going to become more prevalent.

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digital twin