Ultra-low fouling active surfaces. This project aims to develop chemistries and fabrication approaches through innovative materials evaluation to develop ultra-low fouling active electrode surfaces. Development of ultra-low fouling surfaces will have significant impact in a range of applications where system or device failure is attributed to fouling. The growing field of bionics, where implantable electronic devices interface directly with the nervous system, is one such device. The expected ou ....Ultra-low fouling active surfaces. This project aims to develop chemistries and fabrication approaches through innovative materials evaluation to develop ultra-low fouling active electrode surfaces. Development of ultra-low fouling surfaces will have significant impact in a range of applications where system or device failure is attributed to fouling. The growing field of bionics, where implantable electronic devices interface directly with the nervous system, is one such device. The expected outcomes will be an understanding of the material requirements that lead to the elimination of protein and cell accumulation at surfaces that degrades the performance and lifetime of these implants. The findings will benefit any application where fouling is a problem.Read moreRead less
Functional Electronic Stimulation of Muscles - Development of a Model for Sensory Feedback to Amputees and Vision for the Blind. Electrical stimulation of nerve fibres is an emerging physiological technique with great promise towards rehabilitation. The field lacks techniques for detailed, focal application of stimuli to recruit specific fibres for fine muscle control or conveying useful neurosensory information. The investigator has developed microtechnology for delivering stimuli to 100 sites, ....Functional Electronic Stimulation of Muscles - Development of a Model for Sensory Feedback to Amputees and Vision for the Blind. Electrical stimulation of nerve fibres is an emerging physiological technique with great promise towards rehabilitation. The field lacks techniques for detailed, focal application of stimuli to recruit specific fibres for fine muscle control or conveying useful neurosensory information. The investigator has developed microtechnology for delivering stimuli to 100 sites, conceivably facilitating recruitment of specific fibres within a given bundle. Effects of muscle stimulation are readily measured and shall be used to model and refine techniques for generic high-resolution fibre recruitment. Benefits include, improved muscle control in functional electrical stimulation, sensory perception for amputees and patterned vision from optic nerve stimulation.Read moreRead less
Conformal Bionics - addressing the challenges in bringing miniaturised implants to the site of therapeutic delivery. Smaller, more sophisticated, lifetime-implantable bionic devices capable of being placed at the site of therapeutic delivery will facilitate new or improved opportunities for treatment of disease. Three critical areas of research aim to be explored in pursuit of this goal will be addressed within this study: introduction of new fabrication materials that enable devices to conform ....Conformal Bionics - addressing the challenges in bringing miniaturised implants to the site of therapeutic delivery. Smaller, more sophisticated, lifetime-implantable bionic devices capable of being placed at the site of therapeutic delivery will facilitate new or improved opportunities for treatment of disease. Three critical areas of research aim to be explored in pursuit of this goal will be addressed within this study: introduction of new fabrication materials that enable devices to conform to the anatomy of the targeted site of therapeutic delivery; improved means of addressing the data and energy transfer needs of devices implanted in confined spaces; and innovation of novel sensors for testing and monitoring of atmospheric conditions within the implant to anticipate and safely manage issues relating to a breach of hermetic encapsulation barriers.Read moreRead less
Multifunctional surfaces for implantable biomedical devices. This project aims to improve the quality of life of patients receiving biomedical implants. The project will develop new plasma processing methods to create surfaces for implants that will give control over the response of human tissues. Tissue integration with the device will be achieved where required and infection suppressed.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101308
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
An in vitro model of biomaterial-induced thrombosis. This project intends to use bioengineering strategies to develop new methods to understand material interactions with proteins and cells. The project plans to develop microfluidic channels to contain test materials and immobilise a key enzyme associated with thrombosis by plasma immersion ion implantation. This knowledge may increase our understanding of material-biomolecule interactions and have implications for manipulating biological foulin ....An in vitro model of biomaterial-induced thrombosis. This project intends to use bioengineering strategies to develop new methods to understand material interactions with proteins and cells. The project plans to develop microfluidic channels to contain test materials and immobilise a key enzyme associated with thrombosis by plasma immersion ion implantation. This knowledge may increase our understanding of material-biomolecule interactions and have implications for manipulating biological fouling across multiple fields.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100115
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$350,000.00
Summary
High-temperature probes for investigating phase transitions and reaction kinetics in thin films, nanostructured materials and biomaterials. This infrastructure for high temperature surface analysis and in-situ diagnostics as a function of temperature and gas environments will enhance Australia's capabilities in creating new materials for devices that will meet needs in medical, communications, environmental and security applications. The facility will enable researchers to understand and exploi ....High-temperature probes for investigating phase transitions and reaction kinetics in thin films, nanostructured materials and biomaterials. This infrastructure for high temperature surface analysis and in-situ diagnostics as a function of temperature and gas environments will enhance Australia's capabilities in creating new materials for devices that will meet needs in medical, communications, environmental and security applications. The facility will enable researchers to understand and exploit interfacial phenomena and to tailor processing-microstructure-composition correlations, so as to design new materials with the best performance possible. Probes with unique capabilities will measure surface morphology, optical properties, elemental composition and crystallographic phase.The facility will be the first in Australia to offer a comprehensive study of structure and properties at high temperature.Read moreRead less
Formation of bone-like materials for bone repair and regeneration. A successful outcome for this project would lead to the production and application of new bone-like calcium phosphate materials. Enhanced bioactivity of this material would lead to higher but controlled rates of calcium phosphate release. An understanding of the formation process of these materials and the controlled release of calcium phosphates has the potential to slow the development of metabolic diseases such as osteoporosis ....Formation of bone-like materials for bone repair and regeneration. A successful outcome for this project would lead to the production and application of new bone-like calcium phosphate materials. Enhanced bioactivity of this material would lead to higher but controlled rates of calcium phosphate release. An understanding of the formation process of these materials and the controlled release of calcium phosphates has the potential to slow the development of metabolic diseases such as osteoporosis. The WHO reports that osteoporosis is the second largest health care problem world-wide. In 2002, 44 million people in the USA were estimated to be at risk. This and similar figures in Australia and around the world emphasize the urgency of understanding and appropriately combating weak bone degenerative diseases.Read moreRead less
Highly ordered and tunable extracellular DNA micro- and nanopatterns for investigating the attachment mechanisms of pseudomonas aeruginosa to surfaces. Preventing infectious bacteria from colonising artificial surfaces is a major scientific challenge. New engineered surfaces will be designed to better understand how the important pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa sticks to surfaces, facilitating new ways of reducing infections acquired from the surface of, for example, medical devices.
Development of a Prothrombogenic Bone Graft Substitute. The clinical demand for bone is massive and to counter this bone can be either harvested from the patient or bone substitutes are used. The success or failure of a bone substitute is determined the instant it come into contact with blood. The surfaces of traditional biomaterials induce a foreign body reaction. The aim of this project is to test the bone forming capacity of a biomaterial that is optimised to produce a natural response from ....Development of a Prothrombogenic Bone Graft Substitute. The clinical demand for bone is massive and to counter this bone can be either harvested from the patient or bone substitutes are used. The success or failure of a bone substitute is determined the instant it come into contact with blood. The surfaces of traditional biomaterials induce a foreign body reaction. The aim of this project is to test the bone forming capacity of a biomaterial that is optimised to produce a natural response from the blood. This response will lead to the formation new viable tissue and eventually bone. Such a material will cause faster bone healing, less pain from graft sites, shorter hospital stays and shorter waiting lists. Read moreRead less