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Metaverse is the buzz technology of the moment raising attention both from academia and industry. Many stakeholders are considering an extension of their existing applications into the metaverse environment for more usability. The healthcare industry is gradually making use of the metaverse to improve quality of service and enhance living conditions. The convergence of artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain (BC), Internet of Things (IoT), immersive technologies, and digital twin in the metaverse environment presents new scopes for the healthcare industry. By leveraging these technologies, healthcare providers can improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and create new healthcare experiences for a better life, thus facilitating the anti-aging process. AI can be used to analyze large-scale medical data and make personalized treatment plans, while blockchain can create a secure and transparent healthcare data ecosystem.
- metaverse
- healthcare
- digital anti-aging healthcare
- artificial intelligence
1. Digital Anti-Aging Healthcare in the Metaverse
The metaverse could be used as a virtual environment that allows users to explore and engage with various digital anti-aging healthcare-related interventions and strategies. As an example, users could interact with virtual representations of themselves (avatars) and see how different lifestyle choices, such as exercise and nutrition, affect their appearance and overall health. The potential of the metaverse for digital anti-aging in healthcare is exciting, and it will be interesting to see how this technology develops in the coming years.
Digital anti-aging in healthcare is a very important domain in the modern healthcare industry as it is capable of promoting healthy aging, prevents chronic diseases, reduces signs of aging, boosts self-esteem, promotes lifestyle changes, and many more. The potential of the metaverse for digital anti-aging in healthcare is exciting, and it will be interesting to see how this technology develops in the coming years.
1.1. Chronic Disease Management in the Metaverse
Chronic diseases refer to a condition that requires permanent medical attention or limits daily living activities. According to [29], a disease is chronic when it has lasted for at least a year, and the causes can be tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol consumption, to name a few. Major chronic diseases include heart-related diseases and stroke, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and obesity.
Sun et al. [13] recently proposed four key stages for developing the medical metaverse, which is the path to transfer the abovementioned technological solutions into the metaverse environment. The four stages are stated as follows:
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Holographic construction.
A static geometric model for the virtual world must be built at this stage. This includes virtual hospitals, medical staff, and medical tools. The various objects appearing in the environment are classified into three categories, namely scenes, events, and people. In surgery setup, the environment enclosed with equipment is considered as the scene, patients and all medical staff constitute the people, while the dynamic data generated between people and the scene constitute the event.
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Holographic simulation.
The real-world environment is to be mimicked and implemented into the virtual world. All possible technologies must be combined and used to continuously improve the physical implementation. The immersive process is expected to be at its highest level, connecting to medical information and existing data systems. Real-time motion capture and multi-sensor devices support the process with data from the patients’ and physicians’ avatars.
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Fusion of virtual and real.
The aim is to make the virtual world appear as real as possible. The immersive experience is expected to be full as mixed reality (MR) breaks boundaries between the medical virtual world and the real world. The continuous improvement of digital technologies motivates the desire to obtain a fully immersive experience. XR devices are used to access the virtual space no matter the patient’s or physician’s location and enable communication between them. Patients’ data and information will be transferred to the virtual world and used in a real-time setting.
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Virtual–real linkage.
Artificial intelligence (AI), IoT, brain–computer interfaces (BCI), and others will be utilized to create medical equipment and methods for the simulation process. The implementation process is expected to adapt to technological development and create an intersection between the real and virtual worlds for medical interventions. The four above-mentioned stages are a pathway for implementing medical solutions into the metaverse.
1.2. Entertainment in the Metaverse as an Anti-Aging Strategy
Entertainment becomes more important. As people get older, they reduce socializing and interacting with others. This attitude changes their psychological state and sometimes leads to an unhealthy mood. Interaction with others becomes very important to maintain a positive outlook and emotions. The entertainment program is recommended for the aging population and can involve many aspects. It could be puzzles, card games, having coffee, playing games, or tasks such as making jewelry. Regarding IT entertainment tools, the gaming industry is the leading entertainment program for both young and old people. The venues of the 2D and 3D games with a high level of interaction and immersion constitute a great means of entertainment that has been proven to help users feel good and have a better outlook, reducing stress. The metaverse environment, in connection with other digital technologies such as AI, BC, and IoT, making use of VR devices, facilitates the entertainment program by not only limiting the user to games (early application of the 3D environment), but by making way for a new social environment where people can meet and make many other discoveries. It will be possible in the metaverse to meet and collaborate with others, socialize, and make new friends, shop for real and virtual products, play virtual games, and attend events such as concerts, trade shows, and learning events.
1.3. Well-Being and Fitness for Anti-Aging Using the Metaverse
Well-being and fitness promote the anti-aging process. The metaverse offers opportunities in this arena through the use of VR technologies. As demonstrated above, the gaming industry plays an important role in human well-being. It has been proven that the use of VR devices helps in stimulating brain activity, especially in those suffering from dementia [40]. Dementia patients can use the metaverse to connect with other environments and are able to simulate memories and connect with friends and family. The metaverse also offers many ways for people to keep fit. Global giant Animoca Brands, OliveX, adapted the Sandbox metaverse to make a fully interoperable fitness gaming ecosystem called Gamified Fitness [41]. The game Fortnite acted as a blueprint, and fitness streaming is one of their most popular fitness games. Though some people seem not to accept the fitness metaverse as revolutionary, it appears today as one of the top radical and exciting opportunities in the fitness sector thus far.
1.4. Digital Skin Management as a Digital Anti-Aging Strategy
Another aspect of anti-aging is the skin’s appearance. People tend to think that anti-aging procedures are for the sole purpose of physically looking younger, believing that it is the main reason for the existence of the anti-aging treatment. Though delaying aging appearance to satisfy the desire to be more youthful is part of anti-aging process, the above sections outlined many other possibilities that encompasses anti-aging. So far, the maintenance of human skin to keep its youthful state is carried out by using skincare products, specifically anti-aging skincare products (examples include sunscreen, moisturizer, and anti-wrinkle creams, from brands like Drema E and Neutrogena) which constitute another important target for the anti-aging strategy. These products are manufactured using natural ingredients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, peptides, coenzyme Q10, tea extracts, grape seed extract, and niacinamide. Using VR/AR supported by AI, users can find the most suitable skincare product for themselves. In this case, the user will be able to visualize the product output over time and make a good decision. An example of such an application is the Skin Analysis Face App by Cosmopolitan US, which is capable of conducting a face skin analysis using a model made of many face images to determine spots, wrinkles, texture, and dark circles from a selfie.
1.5. Mental Health and the Metaverse
Mental health is among the most important healthcare sectors for humans as it has an impact on the aging process. A healthy mental condition is linked to a lower risk of a shortened lifespan. The metaverse has the potential to reshape the human mental condition using its own technology. A metaverse environment can serve as a rehabilitation center for mental disease patients. While in the metaverse environment, patients gain full immersive experiences and can follow-up with a rehabilitation training session for the betterment of their mental condition or any other health issue. The metaverse is being used in hospitals for training, and some doctors are using it for remote consultations. As more businesses investigate its potential, this technology will probably advance [42]. VR, AR, and mixed reality are the most important technologies for this type of treatment, and nowadays they are also increasingly used for the diagnosis of mental health. Some mental health disorder applications can possibly be created within the metaverse, for disease such as:
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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
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Eating disorders
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Anxiety, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder
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Autism
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Alzheimer’s disease
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Stress and pain prescription
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Psychosis, delusions, and schizophrenia
The use of games as a strategy to address mental health diseases’ management using the metaverse has been adopted by a few Big Tech firms. A mental health app called Bump Galaxy in a VR environment explored this as prototyped on Minecraft. It acts as a ‘game world therapy’ and helps patients not only as a societal support and safety tool, but also as an assistant to patients in overcoming depression, anxiety, or trauma through the Bump Galaxy gaming environment. Visualizations with deep hypnosis will develop mental resilience and well-being in the community via this bottom-up model [43,44,45].
1.6. Remote Assistance for Critical Patients within the Metaverse
Assisting patients by constantly monitoring their health condition is a key factor in the digital anti-aging process. The applications for treatment and monitoring using the metaverse are applied to speed up the attainment of a healthy condition without any fear and risk. It is applied in the medical field for a wide range of diseases. The healthcare provider can define the specific objective of the required treatment and collect the patient’s information. Different software and hardware are used to create 3D virtual data, which then creates a 3D virtual environment. The metaverse VR and AR of the required medical data are created and identified with the best possible procedure. This procedure is applicable to plan the treatment, and then helps to perform the actual treatment [46].
2. Digital Anti-Aging Healthcare-Supporting Technologies in the Metaverse
The use of other technologies in the metaverse regarding healthcare provides numerous benefits, such as improving accessibility and reducing costs. Patients can receive care from anywhere, reducing the need for transportation and lowering healthcare costs. Additionally, healthcare professionals can provide more efficient and personalized care by using these technologies.
2.1. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a part of computer science that consists of developing systems that would require human intelligence to perform tasks of visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and many more. AI is subdivided into many subsets, for instance machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, natural language processing, etc. All the subsets of AI are useful to the metaverse’s proper functioning, depending on the application areas. Natural language processing (NLP) in the metaverse can be used to provide text and speech interactive experiences [47]. In the medical domain, data can be extracted from a consultation discussion between a patient and a doctor avatar to proceed with treatment. Computer vision, machine learning (supervised/unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning), deep learning (ANN, CNN, LSTM, RNN, etc.), transfer learning, and other AI-related technologies are also combined to build and train accurate models in real life, which can be used for disease prediction in the metaverse by healthcare professionals in the treatment process [48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67].
2.2. Blockchain
Blockchain is a digital ledger of digital data transactions that allows multiple parties to securely and transparently share and store data. Blockchain technology can be used in a variety of ways to support the development and operation of the metaverse. Blockchain can be seen as a system of computing and storing data in a safer and decentralized manner. Blockchain ensures the decentralization of the metaverse due to its decentralized ledger architecture. In the metaverse, the healthcare blockchain can provide patient data management, medical supply management, a secure payment system, and many more [68,69,70,71].
2.3. Internet of Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the network of physical devices which are connected to the Internet and interchanging data. IoT has become the leading technology behind advanced telemedicine. Due to mobility restrictions, IoT has gained interest from many Big Tech companies for remote applications [72]. IoT devices can be particularly useful in supporting the development of healthcare metaverse services, enabling more personalized and efficient care delivery. Wearable IoT devices can monitor vital signs, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation, and transmit these data to healthcare professionals. This can enable remote monitoring of patients, allowing healthcare professionals to detect potential issues before they become critical and provide more timely interventions [73,74,75].
2.4. Edge/Cloud Computing
Edge computing technologies can play a significant role in supporting the development and operation of healthcare metaverse services, enabling the secure and efficient storage and processing of large amounts of data [76]. Cloud computing can also support the deployment of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms for healthcare applications. These algorithms can be used to analyze vast amounts of data, providing insights into disease patterns and treatment outcomes, and supporting more accurate and personalized diagnoses and treatment plans [77].
2.5. 5G/6G Network
The 5G and 6G networks refer to high-speed, low-latency, and high-capacity connectivity, which is vital for receiving immersive and responsive experiences. Connectivity plays a crucial part in making the metaverse a fully immersive environment. The Chief Architect at Ericsson, Silicon Valley, Mischa Dohler talks about why 5G is playing a central role in the emerging metaverse [78]. The 5G/6G networks offer rate, range, reliability, latency, and so much more, which are vital in the healthcare setting, especially in the metaverse. Such connectivity will ensure online consultation through patients’ and doctors’ avatars, facilitate training of medical doctors using the metaverse, allow to conduct assisted metaverse telesurgery, and many others [79].
2.6. Immersive Technology
Technology that entirely transports the user to a metaverse environment that blends the physical environment with virtual content is referred to as immersive technology. Recent-era immersive technologies are used in the medical and healthcare domain. With the aid of VR, AR, and XR technologies, medical practitioners can enhance their skills and successfully apply the knowledge they have gained from simulations to the operating room [80]. This technology is making interactive visualization in the XR environment, enabling VR patients to access drug-free treatment without physical contact [81]. Using VR, AR, and XR, doctors are creating 3D models of their smart operation theaters for taking live suggestions from other institutions and other country’s expert surgeons, and for showing operational procedures to their relatives [82]. In a virtual metaverse environment, the doctor’s avatar discusses with the patient’s avatar and gives them proper solutions for the healthcare problem. In addition, doctors administer therapeutic treatments to patients using metaverse virtual environments by using VR. As an example, a lung cancer surgical training in the smart operating room was realized through the metaverse during an online conference provided by the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital’s medical staff [83].
2.7. Digital Twins
Digital twin (DT) is a virtual model of a physical entity. DT technology helps in creating DT for patients, and medical devices. The vital tenets of personalized medicine and the pharmaceutical industry is that treatments should be tailored to the patient, and this technology provides novel and definite solutions for accurate analysis and adherence to patient-appropriate action approaches [84]. To produce visual representations, gather, store, analyze, and provide insightful data, DT integrates four technologies, namely IoT, extended reality (XR), artificial intelligence (AI), and the Cloud [85]. With these applications, the digital twin is improving healthcare, for the support of diagnoses and treatment decisions in the medical industry. In detecting symptoms at the initial stages, doctors use wearable sensors to help diagnose the patient in the digital twin system. Similar to humans, DT is a virtual model for the physical object of medical devices’ design and optimization, and DT can test new prospective medications to determine the most effective and ideal prescription by building a digital cohort of real patients with various phenotypes. By modeling an invasive clinical practice, digital twins can anticipate the result before the therapy is chosen [86,87,88].
2.8. Human–Computer Interaction
Human–computer interaction (HCI) is concerned about human interaction with a given system. It includes the plan, design, implementation, and modification of interactive computing systems. HCI makes it easier for the medical and healthcare industry to exchange with humans in all divisions of the healthcare industry. In recent era, HCI has been used in the ICU, CCU for analyzing equipment in the operation theater. HCI makes the decision with the help of artificial intelligence, healthcare data management, electronic health records, dashboards, patient portals, and maintains the healthcare data lifecycle. HCI also allows different types of online communication between doctors, patients, authorities, and patients’ relatives [89].
2.9. Quantum Computing
Quantum computing (QC) is field of metaverse computing that uses the principles of quantum mechanics to perform certain types of calculations in the metaverse environment that are difficult for classical computers. Numerous computer-intensive applications in the healthcare industry are particularly well-suited to QC. A common cancer treatment is radiotherapy. It uses radiation to kill malignant cells or stop their growth. A radiation strategy must be developed to lessen the harm of the radiation dose to healthy tissues and organs. It takes several simulations to find the best approach to attain the ideal radiation strategy. Hence, with quantum computing, the range of possibilities that are considered between each simulation is broad. As a result, it enables healthcare experts to run several simulations at once and create the best plan. Additionally, QC works for drug research and interactions, healthcare data, and genomics, and it improves medical image solutions. Devices for quantum imaging assist in producing extremely precise images that make it possible to see individual molecules. Machine learning and quantum computing assist professionals such as doctors in interpreting the findings [90].
2.10. Three-Dimensional Reconstruction
In recent eras, three-dimensional reconstruction (3DR) has become one of the significant computer vision technologies for the healthcare sector; more accurately, 3DR is the twin of the medical domain [91]. The 3DR works with medical images such as different types of cancer images, MRI, CT, and medical surgeries. The 3DR uses medical image segmentation for better medical imaging accuracy to allow proper treatment. The use of 3DR software for preoperative assessment and surgical planning may improve surgical success rates and reduce operative risks. On the other hand, VR visualizes patients’ health conditions. For medical teaching, utilizing VR technology in medical education can successfully convey instructional content, provide a realistic learning environment, enhance the efficacy of teachers’ expertise and skills, and make it simpler for teachers to communicate their lesson plans and content [92].
3. Metaverse Anti-Aging and Healthcare Future Directions
According to a bibliometric examination of VR and AR, the metaverse may be used for diagnostics and operations, as well as rehabilitation for pain, neurodegenerative illnesses, stroke, depression, and cancer, with positive outcomes [110]. For cancer disease, artificial intelligence technology may be used to prevent cancer as well as diagnose and treat patients [111]. Anti-aging healthcare technology has helped in expanding people’s life expectancy. Taking a deeper look at DNA is a terrific method to detect diseases or medical weaknesses and take preventative actions in good time. Genetic testing can help discover information on the ideal individual diet, potential medical issues, and the likelihood of allergies or pharmaceutical reactions [112]. Since virtual reality and augmented reality technologies provide an immersive experience, these may be considered the metaverse 1.0. Nevertheless, some big tech firms are already utilizing these technologies. Embodied laboratories provide immersive caregiver training, XR health provides rehabilitation, and rend ever and Silver Adventures provide meaningful virtual experiences to improve the well-being of elderly people. Furthermore, the metaverse may provide more lifelike means of communicating with others who are geographically far from poeple. This is when things start to get interesting. There are several ways in which this might assist elderly people. To begin with, better, more lifelike communication will significantly enhance telehealth. The legacy is another area that may be considerably improved. Leaving anything for others to remember people by long after you have no bodily presence on this planet is still difficult these days. Many people are seeking ways to record their life tales for future generations. The metaverse will reap incredible benefits in healthcare through the confluence of telepresence, DT, and BC, particularly in terms of patient observation. Telepresence, known as telemedicine, is the remote provision of medical services [26]. The metaverse is projected to be a helpful instrument for surgeons performing complex surgeries and for improving patient care. Surgeons now perform procedures using cutting-edge technologies such as robots after collecting the patient’s vital signs, pictures, medical records, and more. The new tools that interact with the metaverse can provide real-time test data to help patients perform better. The metaverse will gradually be employed at first since clinical trials are required to determine whether it is a viable tool for surgery.
This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/app13085127
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