Responsive Endovascular Neuromodulation: Detection And Suppression Of Epileptic Seizures
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,487,455.00
Summary
For millions of people with epilepsy, seizures can be debilitating and dangerous. Medical devices approved for seizure prevention require risky open-brain surgery and traumatic electrode insertion. The Stentrode can record and stimulate the brain from within a blood vessel. By optimising it for delivery into small vessels, designing software to detect seizures, and conducting chronic safety studies, I will create a tool that can detect and suppress epileptic seizures without the surgical risk.
Safety And Efficacy Of A Surgically Implanted Suprachoroidal Retinal Prosthesis (Bionic Eye)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,233,826.00
Summary
A bionic eye is a electronic device which can stimulate the remaining visual pathway in a person who is blind, to restore some basic vision. Our team have previously shown that our novel bionic eye device can be safely implanted in a patient, and can give improvements in vision when tested in a laboratory environment. The next stage of the research is to provide patients with a more advanced device, which will contain more electrodes and also be able to be taken home.
Delivering Advanced Electrode Materials To The Clinic
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$702,604.00
Summary
This research will develop improved electrodes for interfacing neural tissue by combining the expertise of materials scientists and electrophysiologists with medical bionics researchers. This work is expected to deliver improved bionic devices to the clinic in order to treat a variety of disorders from blindness to the control of motor tremor in Parkinson's disease.
Preclinical Validation Of First In Man Endovascular Brain Machine Interface Device
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$870,000.00
Summary
The stentrode technology has been given significant public attention, following publication in the fourth highest impact factor journal 'Nature Biotechnology' and a public statement of endorsement by the President of the United States in 2016. The program now seeks to conduct a preclinical validation program to satisfy the FDA in its requirements to provide Investigational Device Exemption (IDE).
A New Mouse Model That Determines The Effects Of A Unilateral Vestibular Prosthesis On Vestibular Plasticity.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$455,678.00
Summary
Much like a cochlear implant restores auditory function, a vestibular prosthesis restores balance function. It is not clear whether the limited results from vestibular prostheses is due the device not stimulating one component (the otoliths) of the vestibular system essential for self-repair. We will test mutant mice that lack otoliths to determine the importance of stimulating the otoliths in restoring function. This work will shape the future direction of prosthesis development.
Neuro-feedback For Improved Efficacy Of Retinal Prostheses
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$653,655.00
Summary
Bionic eyes offer the possibility to return sight to the blind. Existing retinal implants are effective at delivering basic visual percepts, namely brief spots of light. Our team is now working on building the second generation of bionic eyes that include the ability to both stimulate the visual system (the retina) and record its response. By recording the evoked responses, we can adjust and optimize the stimulation to restore a persistent high spatial resolution sense of vision to the blind.
Next Generation Cybernetics: Long Term Carbon Fibre Dual Stimulation / Recording Electrode Arrays For Closed Loop Neural Implants
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$679,670.00
Summary
Electrodes implanted in the brain have enormous potential for treating a range of conditions from epilepsy to control of prosthetics for patients with limb loss. Currently, the electrodes used in such system fail rapidly because they are rejected by the body. We aim to use diamond with ultra-fine carbon fibre electrodes to make arrays that are invisible to the human immune system. Such arrays will function for the lifetime of the patient without needing replacement.