Devices that use Ion Channels. The proposed device would supply the community of researchers in Australia and internationally with new techniques to enable them to quickly and conveniently investigate properties of ion channels and to speed the screening of potential ion channel targets for pharmaceutical hits and leads. In addition, the tethered membrane technology will be developed to fill an unmet need for a quick and biologically relevant test of EMC hazards. This will enhance the science an ....Devices that use Ion Channels. The proposed device would supply the community of researchers in Australia and internationally with new techniques to enable them to quickly and conveniently investigate properties of ion channels and to speed the screening of potential ion channel targets for pharmaceutical hits and leads. In addition, the tethered membrane technology will be developed to fill an unmet need for a quick and biologically relevant test of EMC hazards. This will enhance the science and technology infrastructure within Australia, taking it into original and exciting directions, contribute to training young Australian scientists and students, as well as enhance Australia's competitive position in the field of nanobiotechnology.Read moreRead less
Development of a multivariate physiologic state space analysis framework for characterising functional properties of the cardiovascular system. Pathologies of the cardiovascular system arising from heart diseases make a major contribution to morbidity and mortality in the Australian community. This project will provide new diagnostic modalities based on advanced noninvasive bioinstrumentation, signal processing and model-based analytical methods to identify early signs of developing disease or t ....Development of a multivariate physiologic state space analysis framework for characterising functional properties of the cardiovascular system. Pathologies of the cardiovascular system arising from heart diseases make a major contribution to morbidity and mortality in the Australian community. This project will provide new diagnostic modalities based on advanced noninvasive bioinstrumentation, signal processing and model-based analytical methods to identify early signs of developing disease or the acute exacerbation of existing disease. The impact of these new technologies on the early diagnosis and improved triaging of patients in emergency departments is potentially profound and could result in improved healthcare outcomes for the patients and reduced admissions to hospital as well as the development of a substantial international market.Read moreRead less
Development and evaluation of a remote monitoring system and its application to cardiac rehabilitation and occupational health. This project further develops and evaluates a system developed by the Industry Partner which permits real-time remote monitoring of a person's cardiac activity, position and velocity via GPS, and selected aspects of motion and posture using accelerometry. The study has three aims: to enhance the system's capacity for remote monitoring of human motion and physiology; to ....Development and evaluation of a remote monitoring system and its application to cardiac rehabilitation and occupational health. This project further develops and evaluates a system developed by the Industry Partner which permits real-time remote monitoring of a person's cardiac activity, position and velocity via GPS, and selected aspects of motion and posture using accelerometry. The study has three aims: to enhance the system's capacity for remote monitoring of human motion and physiology; to test its ability to support cardiac rehabilitation for those unable to access hospital-based programs; and to evaluate its application to the monitoring of workloads in physically demanding tasks associated with cardiovascular ill-health and musculoskeletal injury.Read moreRead less
A kinetic measuring system for assistive devices used in paediatric gait. Each year, a proportion of children are born who suffer from disabilities, which limits their ability to walk efficiently. Gait analysis can identify limiting factors in walking ability, and can assess the clinical outcome of treatments. Children who use assistive devices, such as walking frames, are denied the full benefits of gait analysis due to limitations in current equipment. This project addresses this need through ....A kinetic measuring system for assistive devices used in paediatric gait. Each year, a proportion of children are born who suffer from disabilities, which limits their ability to walk efficiently. Gait analysis can identify limiting factors in walking ability, and can assess the clinical outcome of treatments. Children who use assistive devices, such as walking frames, are denied the full benefits of gait analysis due to limitations in current equipment. This project addresses this need through the development of a portable, load-measuring instrument. When integrated with existing equipment, a comprehensive description of assisted walking gait will be possible. This will lead to greater understanding and improved treatment outcomes for such children.Read moreRead less
Hybrid Sensor-based Physiological Control of an Implantable Rotary Blood Pump. With over 11 million people needing heart transplants worldwide and only 3000 donor hearts, an effective alternative therapy is needed. The Ventracor Ltd. rotary blood pump is one possible approach whereby a fully implantable mechanical device assists the failing heart. The innovative steps in this research proposal will be a means to robustly and safely control the speed of the pump to meet the metabolic needs of the ....Hybrid Sensor-based Physiological Control of an Implantable Rotary Blood Pump. With over 11 million people needing heart transplants worldwide and only 3000 donor hearts, an effective alternative therapy is needed. The Ventracor Ltd. rotary blood pump is one possible approach whereby a fully implantable mechanical device assists the failing heart. The innovative steps in this research proposal will be a means to robustly and safely control the speed of the pump to meet the metabolic needs of the body. Apart from the obvious health benefits for patients, this will provide the company with a huge market advantage that will also help to bolster the Australian medical device industry.Read moreRead less
Automated pathogen detection using time-gated luminescence microscopy. A rapid and general means of in-situ pathogen identification would benefit the community by ensuring that appropriate treatments can be applied in the early stages of a disease. Patient prognosis is thereby improved and opportunities for multi-drug resistant organisms to arise are limited. Time-gated luminescence microscopy (TgM) exploits persistent luminescence to overcome autofluorescence, a serious problem in pathogen dete ....Automated pathogen detection using time-gated luminescence microscopy. A rapid and general means of in-situ pathogen identification would benefit the community by ensuring that appropriate treatments can be applied in the early stages of a disease. Patient prognosis is thereby improved and opportunities for multi-drug resistant organisms to arise are limited. Time-gated luminescence microscopy (TgM) exploits persistent luminescence to overcome autofluorescence, a serious problem in pathogen detection. Drug-resistant 'Golden Staph' (MRSA) will be used as the model organism to evaluate TgM efficacy. Ultimately however, TgM will be applied for the detection of tuberculosis, a highly contagious disease affecting the respiratory system of more than one-third of the world's population.Read moreRead less
Innovative approach to design a new osseointegrated implant for transfemoral amputees with better resistance to fractures. Transfemoral amputees fitted with an osseointegrated implant are experiencing numerous valuable benefits compare to their previous method conventional attachment. However, 40% of them present an early loosening of the implant or ruptures of the abutment. These problems are related to the load regime acting on the fixation system during post-operative rehabilitation and daily ....Innovative approach to design a new osseointegrated implant for transfemoral amputees with better resistance to fractures. Transfemoral amputees fitted with an osseointegrated implant are experiencing numerous valuable benefits compare to their previous method conventional attachment. However, 40% of them present an early loosening of the implant or ruptures of the abutment. These problems are related to the load regime acting on the fixation system during post-operative rehabilitation and daily life activities. In this project, the direct measurement of the actual load applied on the abutment during:
· the load bearing exercises is essential to refine the post- operative rehabilitation program.
· every-day activities is crucial to improve the design and
testing of the implants and abutments.Read moreRead less
Design and Development of a Low-Cost Portable Biofeedback Device for use in Sleep Induction and Relaxation. This project aims to expand on existing knowledge of the various stimuli used in sleep induction such as photic, auditory and weak electromagnetic stimulation and develop a low-cost portable biofeedback prototype. This novel device will be based on adaptive or fuzzy reasoning algorithms, which would be integrated into the existing ambulatory Siesta EEG recording system, produced by Compume ....Design and Development of a Low-Cost Portable Biofeedback Device for use in Sleep Induction and Relaxation. This project aims to expand on existing knowledge of the various stimuli used in sleep induction such as photic, auditory and weak electromagnetic stimulation and develop a low-cost portable biofeedback prototype. This novel device will be based on adaptive or fuzzy reasoning algorithms, which would be integrated into the existing ambulatory Siesta EEG recording system, produced by Compumedics Ltd. The development of this novel real-time biofeedback prototype will encourage further research using this particular technology to apply it in preventative healthcare in Australian community. The outcome of this proposed bioinstrumentation prototype could possibly expand sleep market to new international level.Read moreRead less
The photonic immunochip: retrieving individual Enzyme-linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) array-units using optical waveguide multicolour fluorescence. Improving the sensitivity and availability of in-vitro immuno-diagnostic tests is a critical goal towards developing real time efficient tools for the detection of infectious diseases, cancers, allergies and auto-immune diseases. The goal is to increase the sensitivity of these tests by reducing background noise that has been a feature of the com ....The photonic immunochip: retrieving individual Enzyme-linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) array-units using optical waveguide multicolour fluorescence. Improving the sensitivity and availability of in-vitro immuno-diagnostic tests is a critical goal towards developing real time efficient tools for the detection of infectious diseases, cancers, allergies and auto-immune diseases. The goal is to increase the sensitivity of these tests by reducing background noise that has been a feature of the commonly used ELISA technology. This will be achieved by developing a novel optical integrated waveguide array supporting a large range of distributed tests, including several based on a novel multi-colour detection scheme. This massively parallel approach will underpin a new generation of low-cost, efficient diagnostic tests.Read moreRead less
Development and application of wearable micro technologies for the assessment of swimming performance and activity. Australia's sporting performance at a national and international level are ingrained in the psyche of everyday Australians. It encourages sporting activity at every level of our society contributing to our well being and the development of tommorrow's athletes.
This research project will develop important tools for the assessment and servicing of our nations elite athletes, includ ....Development and application of wearable micro technologies for the assessment of swimming performance and activity. Australia's sporting performance at a national and international level are ingrained in the psyche of everyday Australians. It encourages sporting activity at every level of our society contributing to our well being and the development of tommorrow's athletes.
This research project will develop important tools for the assessment and servicing of our nations elite athletes, including those in regional areas. These tools will encompass the very latest in wearable technology and allow athletes to be measured under performance conditions rather than in the laboratory.
Assessment of human motion is also desirable as we seek to assess and aid a progressively aging population and a growing epidemic of obesity in our children.Read moreRead less