Development of an endofunctional capsule for targeted delivery of biomarkers in the alimentary tract. The proposed capsule will provide a solution to the problem of accessing the small intestine for targeted delivery of biomarkers and drugs, and contribute to translational medical research to enhance our understanding of the function of the gut. Successful completion of this project will build on defined priority areas of research strength in Australia (frontier technologies, smart information u ....Development of an endofunctional capsule for targeted delivery of biomarkers in the alimentary tract. The proposed capsule will provide a solution to the problem of accessing the small intestine for targeted delivery of biomarkers and drugs, and contribute to translational medical research to enhance our understanding of the function of the gut. Successful completion of this project will build on defined priority areas of research strength in Australia (frontier technologies, smart information use) and assist in the provision of information critical to the design of novel in vivo endofunctional devices. The technologies to be developed in this project will be translatable to the development of other in vivo functional investigation and treatment devices. Read moreRead less
Formation of Nanoporous titanium dioxide (TiO2) by Anodization of Titanium Thin Films. The development of nanoporous titanium dioxide (TiO2), with pore diameter less than 25 nm, represents a significant advance for both R&D and industrial applications. It is an invaluable material for the manufacture of a range of electronic and optical devices. These structures can be employed for the development of efficient thermoelectric coolers, highly sensitive biosensors as well as optical micro-devices w ....Formation of Nanoporous titanium dioxide (TiO2) by Anodization of Titanium Thin Films. The development of nanoporous titanium dioxide (TiO2), with pore diameter less than 25 nm, represents a significant advance for both R&D and industrial applications. It is an invaluable material for the manufacture of a range of electronic and optical devices. These structures can be employed for the development of efficient thermoelectric coolers, highly sensitive biosensors as well as optical micro-devices with high refractive index. In addition, nanoporous TiO2 has numerous applications in the fields of nanotechnology, bioengineering, diagnostics, materials science, and in the building industry. Australia will greatly benefit from the research and development of such a product with its promising market.Read moreRead less
Spectral analysis with selective harmonic emphasis. This project lies under ARC research priority area "Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries". The signal processing algorithms to be developed in this project will be useful in many important practical applications, which include various bio-medical imaging modalities, beamforming, radar, sonar and target tracking using sensor arrays. The idea is to use the prior knowledge to enhance certain desired properties ....Spectral analysis with selective harmonic emphasis. This project lies under ARC research priority area "Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries". The signal processing algorithms to be developed in this project will be useful in many important practical applications, which include various bio-medical imaging modalities, beamforming, radar, sonar and target tracking using sensor arrays. The idea is to use the prior knowledge to enhance certain desired properties of the algorithms via intelligent processing. In this light the project also lies within the ARC research priority area of "Smart Information use".Read moreRead less
Advanced microelectronic transistor structures for novel biosensor technology. This international, interdisciplinary team aims to develop an electronic biosensor technology that will significantly advance biomedical research to combat human disease. This is likely to have a major social impact on the community, improve health outcomes and generate substantial economic potential for the pharmaceutical industry. The principal benefit of this research will be the fabrication of electronic devices b ....Advanced microelectronic transistor structures for novel biosensor technology. This international, interdisciplinary team aims to develop an electronic biosensor technology that will significantly advance biomedical research to combat human disease. This is likely to have a major social impact on the community, improve health outcomes and generate substantial economic potential for the pharmaceutical industry. The principal benefit of this research will be the fabrication of electronic devices based on advanced materials, significantly reducing the time, the biological material used and the complexity of assessing human cell function. In addition to improving health through novel biosensor techniques, this technology is expected to lead to the creation of commercially important intellectual property.Read moreRead less
Better emitters, enhanced optics, superior detectors: advancing terahertz science and technology for applications in medicine, agriculture, industry and national security. We will start with a new fundamental study of the interaction of light and matter to explicate the phenomena of the emission, transmission and detection of terahertz electromagnetic radiation. Using our increased understanding of terahertz science, we will then engineer better terahertz sources, optics, and sensors. Better ter ....Better emitters, enhanced optics, superior detectors: advancing terahertz science and technology for applications in medicine, agriculture, industry and national security. We will start with a new fundamental study of the interaction of light and matter to explicate the phenomena of the emission, transmission and detection of terahertz electromagnetic radiation. Using our increased understanding of terahertz science, we will then engineer better terahertz sources, optics, and sensors. Better terahertz technology will open up new applications in medical diagnosis, especially dermatology; industrial productivity, such as quality control; and the detection of contraband, including illicit drugs and explosives. In maintaining good health, transforming industries and safeguarding Australia, advanced terahertz systems will bring the nation health, economic and security benefits.Read moreRead less
Advanced materials and structures for terahertz science and technology. Anthrax, explosives, water, cancer all have characteristic signatures in the terahertz (THz) part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Security, defence, agriculture, medicine are some of the fields where THz science and technology are booming. THz developments offer enhanced national security, prosperity and quality of life. The lack of strong sources of THz radiation is the main factor hampering wider application of THz metho ....Advanced materials and structures for terahertz science and technology. Anthrax, explosives, water, cancer all have characteristic signatures in the terahertz (THz) part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Security, defence, agriculture, medicine are some of the fields where THz science and technology are booming. THz developments offer enhanced national security, prosperity and quality of life. The lack of strong sources of THz radiation is the main factor hampering wider application of THz methods. In this project two university research teams come together to develop more efficient THz emitters. The Darmstadt team will prepare novel materials and structures and the Wollongong team will evaluate them and provide feedback for the next iteration.Read moreRead less
High Efficiency Terahertz Emitters. Between microwaves and visible light lies the terahertz gap - the least explored region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Yet the THz region is precisely where many materials exhibit characteristic signatures that allow them to be detected and identified. For example, anthrax, explosives, water, DNA, plastics, and carcinomas all have distinctive THz signatures. THz methods are revolutionizing medicine, agriculture, industry, and national security. Wider appl ....High Efficiency Terahertz Emitters. Between microwaves and visible light lies the terahertz gap - the least explored region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Yet the THz region is precisely where many materials exhibit characteristic signatures that allow them to be detected and identified. For example, anthrax, explosives, water, DNA, plastics, and carcinomas all have distinctive THz signatures. THz methods are revolutionizing medicine, agriculture, industry, and national security. Wider application is hampered by the lack of powerful sources of THz radiation. We aim to develop more efficient emitters of THz radiation. The national economy, security, and well-being will benefit.Read moreRead less
Development of a novel flex sensor for use on catheters in medical pressure diagnostic tools. This research project will lead to a significant improvement on the technologies currently available to diagnostic tests of swallowing dysfunctions in children. The proposed technology is much needed and will enable future development of more direct and targeted interventions to assist with feeding based on these measurement techniques. In addition, the knowledge and expertise learned from this project ....Development of a novel flex sensor for use on catheters in medical pressure diagnostic tools. This research project will lead to a significant improvement on the technologies currently available to diagnostic tests of swallowing dysfunctions in children. The proposed technology is much needed and will enable future development of more direct and targeted interventions to assist with feeding based on these measurement techniques. In addition, the knowledge and expertise learned from this project as applied to such a miniature medical device comprises sufficient generic know-how to be useful in developing other biomedical devices. These developments will have a tangible technological impact in a way that will help the Australian biomedical industry be more competitive in the global market.Read moreRead less
Non-invasive measurement of intracranial pressure by means of transcranial doppler blood flow and central aortic pressure. The investigation will produce a device that will aid doctors measuring brain pressure without drilling holes through the skull. The device will use the technology of an Australian company that has the only patented system to deduce the pressure in the brain by measuring pressure close to the heart and the brain and by recording the pressure pulse wave at the wrist. The comm ....Non-invasive measurement of intracranial pressure by means of transcranial doppler blood flow and central aortic pressure. The investigation will produce a device that will aid doctors measuring brain pressure without drilling holes through the skull. The device will use the technology of an Australian company that has the only patented system to deduce the pressure in the brain by measuring pressure close to the heart and the brain and by recording the pressure pulse wave at the wrist. The community benefit will be in terms of the safety and ease with which changes in pressure in the brain can be detected. It will also advance the world renowned Australian technology in a new area of application.Read moreRead less
Tooth-mic Devices for Monitoring the Efficacy of Home-based Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Technology. Over 800,000 Australians suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). OSA patients use twice the health resources compared to healthy people. They are 7 times more likely to cause traffic accidents; in NSW up to 43000 accidents/year are due to OSA. OSA is treatable & consequences such as strokes, diabetes & heart attacks are preventable. The standard OSA treatment is home-based Contin ....Tooth-mic Devices for Monitoring the Efficacy of Home-based Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Technology. Over 800,000 Australians suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). OSA patients use twice the health resources compared to healthy people. They are 7 times more likely to cause traffic accidents; in NSW up to 43000 accidents/year are due to OSA. OSA is treatable & consequences such as strokes, diabetes & heart attacks are preventable. The standard OSA treatment is home-based Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy. Unfortunately, no effective technique exists to measure the efficacy of the treatment. We propose enabling solutions to this problem via developing technology centered on breathing sound analysis. The project proposes joint work with a US-company facilitating access to advanced technology highly beneficial to Australia.Read moreRead less