Development And Application Of A Pressure-sensing Electropalatograph For The Assessment And Treatment Of Speech Disorder
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$200,750.00
Summary
A multidisciplinary team of researchers aim to develop a unique, advanced, computer-based speech device that speech pathologists can use to assess and treat a variety of speech disorders. The device will record the location, timing and pressure of tongue contacts against the roof of the mouth (palate) during speech using innovative sensors embedded in an artificial plate placed over the roof of the mouth. State-of-the-art 3D graphics will be used to display tongue-to-palate contacts to both spee ....A multidisciplinary team of researchers aim to develop a unique, advanced, computer-based speech device that speech pathologists can use to assess and treat a variety of speech disorders. The device will record the location, timing and pressure of tongue contacts against the roof of the mouth (palate) during speech using innovative sensors embedded in an artificial plate placed over the roof of the mouth. State-of-the-art 3D graphics will be used to display tongue-to-palate contacts to both speech pathologist and patient.Read moreRead less
Translation Of MRS For Determining Human Pathology Into The Clinic: Acceptance Testing For Breast, Prostate And Barrett'
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$160,000.00
Summary
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), for many organs, provides the pathological diagnosis with an accuracy approaching 100%. In the case of breast lesions, it discriminates accurately between benign and malignant and, for overt carcinomas, predicts the status of the regional lymph nodes without the need to biopsy the node. For some lesions, such as Barrett’s oesophagus, distinction between dysplasia’s of no immediate concern to the patient and those apparently committed to early progression to ....Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), for many organs, provides the pathological diagnosis with an accuracy approaching 100%. In the case of breast lesions, it discriminates accurately between benign and malignant and, for overt carcinomas, predicts the status of the regional lymph nodes without the need to biopsy the node. For some lesions, such as Barrett’s oesophagus, distinction between dysplasia’s of no immediate concern to the patient and those apparently committed to early progression to clinical cancer, can be made by the MRS method. A statistical classification method, (SCS) has been developed whereby there are now mathematical classifiers available for the testing acceptance of the method in the clinical setting. Acceptance testing of MRS technology, with the mathematical classifiers integrated in the automated software, for the pathology and prognosis from a biopsy specimen in: · Breast clinic (Dr Malycha, Royal Adelaide) for both pathology and nodal involvement from fine needle aspiration biopsy · Gastrointestinal clinic (Dr Falk. Strathfield Private) for Barrett’s oesophagus · Urology clinic (Dr Katelaris, Sydney Adventist Hospital) for prostate.Read moreRead less
NaviGAIT: New Software To Simplify Interpretation Of Gait Analysis Data
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$179,905.00
Summary
NaviGAIT is a new software package to support interpretation of gait analysis data. It is based upon Gait Profiling, a new technique to reduce the complexity of such data. At present data intepretation is restricted to a few expert clinicians. The new software will allow non-expert clinicians to interpret data and hence make gait analysis more accessible, cheaper and more clincally useful. A module of NaviGAIT specifically for children with cerebral palsy will be the first to be developed.
Mechanical Mobility Of The Thorax For Continuous Determination Of Lung Gas Volume
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$165,000.00
Summary
Percussion is a valuable clinical method for physical examination of parts of the body. A sharp tap (impulsive force) is applied to the body wall and the sound radiated in response is observed. This sound may be dull (over liver) or stony dull (pleural effusion), or resonant (over normal lung) or hyper-resonant (over bowel). While the variation in radiated sound is not fully understood, it is apparent that the presence of gas, which is highly compliant, increases mobility of the overlying tissue ....Percussion is a valuable clinical method for physical examination of parts of the body. A sharp tap (impulsive force) is applied to the body wall and the sound radiated in response is observed. This sound may be dull (over liver) or stony dull (pleural effusion), or resonant (over normal lung) or hyper-resonant (over bowel). While the variation in radiated sound is not fully understood, it is apparent that the presence of gas, which is highly compliant, increases mobility of the overlying tissue and allows it to resonate; where the sub-tissue is largely fluid, tissue mobility is low and the percussive sound is dull. Percussion is useful for examining the adult chest and lung, but cannot for example be applied in infant intensive care as only limited impulsive force can be used, and the adult finger, which is both a coupling device and sounding board, is too large. As well, percussion requires skill and quiet conditions. Accordingly, we developed a device to measure mobility of the chest and other tissues in real time. The VibroPulse applies a known low-level force to the body surface and records the resultant velocity induced in the surface. The force is generated by a vibrating mass set in motion by an electromagnetic motor driven by pseudo-random noise. Tissue mobility, defined as velocity-force, is derived simultaneously across the frequency range, providing an easily interpreted quantitative output unaffected by ambient noise. This proposal has two aims we can achieve in 1 year: (1) to continue evaluating VibroPulse sensitivity to tissue composition, using symmetrical percussive sites on the human chest and abdomen that are dull on one side and resonant on the other, and the chest of anaesthetised animals with experimentally induced pneumothorax and lung collapse, two life-threatening conditions for which percussion is a key diagnostic method, and (2) to engineer a small device from our bulky prototype that is suitable for clinical use, in infants and adults.Read moreRead less