Modelling and Measurement of Flow-Structure Dynamics in the Human Upper Airway. Sleep disruption due to the common and disabling conditions of snoring and obstruction of the human upper airway can result in chronic fatigue, lost work and accidents caused by daytime drowsiness. To date the behaviour of the upper airway has not been adequately studied in terms able to reveal the mechanical causes of these conditions. This deficiency is addressed through the development and use of simulation tools ....Modelling and Measurement of Flow-Structure Dynamics in the Human Upper Airway. Sleep disruption due to the common and disabling conditions of snoring and obstruction of the human upper airway can result in chronic fatigue, lost work and accidents caused by daytime drowsiness. To date the behaviour of the upper airway has not been adequately studied in terms able to reveal the mechanical causes of these conditions. This deficiency is addressed through the development and use of simulation tools and measurement techniques that will elucidate the flow-structure dynamics leading to new diagnostic and improved treatment methods. Simulating the effect of treatment on any individual will permit it to be chosen to maximise its efficacy for a problem that costs the nation an estimated $2 Billion per year in lost productivity.Read moreRead less
Innovative hands-free technology to give the severely disabled greater mobility control. Half of the serious neurological injuries in Australia result in tetraplegia. Combined with other disabilities that involve severe mobility impairments the cost to the community economically, psychologically and socially is huge. This new Australian technology will facilitate effective sharing of control between a disabled person and a computer control system, taking advantage of their unique strengths and e ....Innovative hands-free technology to give the severely disabled greater mobility control. Half of the serious neurological injuries in Australia result in tetraplegia. Combined with other disabilities that involve severe mobility impairments the cost to the community economically, psychologically and socially is huge. This new Australian technology will facilitate effective sharing of control between a disabled person and a computer control system, taking advantage of their unique strengths and enabling each to aid the other in areas of weakness. The social and personal benefits are potentially very large. Scope also exists to significantly reduce healthcare costs and to develop a new industry in hands-free technology.Read moreRead less
New techniques for modelling, diagnosis and counter measures for cardiac related sleep disordered breathing. Around 50% of congestive heart failure sufferers have some form of sleep disordered breathing. However, little has been done so far to simultaneously monitor, analyse and treat the two conditions. Therefore, this project proposes to develop new technology incorporating mathematical models for heart rate variability, considering the links between sleep disordered breathing and cardiovasc ....New techniques for modelling, diagnosis and counter measures for cardiac related sleep disordered breathing. Around 50% of congestive heart failure sufferers have some form of sleep disordered breathing. However, little has been done so far to simultaneously monitor, analyse and treat the two conditions. Therefore, this project proposes to develop new technology incorporating mathematical models for heart rate variability, considering the links between sleep disordered breathing and cardiovascular disease. This innovation will enable, for the first time, a device capable of accurate and reliable diagnosis of various sleep disorders using only conventional ECG data. Such technology has the potential to produce significant community health benefits, and save several millions of lives worldwide.Read moreRead less
Building a Smart Diagnostic System for Low Back Ailments. This research will develop an early back ailment diagnostic system that will reduce the recurrence of low back pain, and hence reduce the cost to the health system. This is significant to the community from prevention of pain, to the health care system that spends billions of dollars combating this modern day ailment and towards the industry where the low back pain is the single largest reason for sick leave in Australia. It will also giv ....Building a Smart Diagnostic System for Low Back Ailments. This research will develop an early back ailment diagnostic system that will reduce the recurrence of low back pain, and hence reduce the cost to the health system. This is significant to the community from prevention of pain, to the health care system that spends billions of dollars combating this modern day ailment and towards the industry where the low back pain is the single largest reason for sick leave in Australia. It will also give rise to employment of skilled technical people and an opportunity to increase high-value exports from Australia.Read moreRead less
Automated texture selection and classification methods for detection of osteoarthritis in knee radiographs. In Australia there are 1-2 million OA sufferers, a condition that costs approximately $9 billion annually. This project will address an important problem of early detection and monitoring of OA and this remains in line with the National Research Priority 2. Potential outcomes of the project will result in better diagnosis and treatment of OA, reduced discomfort to the individual and saving ....Automated texture selection and classification methods for detection of osteoarthritis in knee radiographs. In Australia there are 1-2 million OA sufferers, a condition that costs approximately $9 billion annually. This project will address an important problem of early detection and monitoring of OA and this remains in line with the National Research Priority 2. Potential outcomes of the project will result in better diagnosis and treatment of OA, reduced discomfort to the individual and saving to the national economy. This project will improve existing activity and rehabilitation programs such as exercise of lower limbs and it will help in developing diets for healthy people and OA sufferers.Read moreRead less
Minimally invasive monitoring of sleep for disease management. Sleep, diet and exercise are the three pillars of wellbeing with poor sleep associated with medical issues such as obesity and congestive heart failure. This project will advance sleep analysis by researching new ways of monitoring that are highly accurate and convenient, enabling physicians to improve the monitoring of significant health issues.
Matched experimental observation and finite-element simulation of flow-induced oscillations in uniform and tapered-stiffness collapsible tubes. Flexible tubes that can be flattened are widespread in the body and can act to limit flow-rate. Limitation is usually associated with spontaneous oscillation (repetitive opening and closing). There are many candidate explanations, but none has been shown to correspond with a given experiment. Through computer models and matched experiments on this couple ....Matched experimental observation and finite-element simulation of flow-induced oscillations in uniform and tapered-stiffness collapsible tubes. Flexible tubes that can be flattened are widespread in the body and can act to limit flow-rate. Limitation is usually associated with spontaneous oscillation (repetitive opening and closing). There are many candidate explanations, but none has been shown to correspond with a given experiment. Through computer models and matched experiments on this coupled system (the fluid flow interacts with the tube shape), we seek to demonstrate for the first time that a given theory/computer model encompasses the physics controlling a given observed oscillation. The solution will find application in other flexible-structure design problems in engineering, and also potentially in medicine.Read moreRead less
Matched experiments and numerical simulations of flow-induced oscillations in uniform and tapered-stiffness collapsible tubes. Flexible tubes that can be flattened are widespread in the body and can act to limit flow-rate. Limitation is usually associated with spontaneous oscillation (repetitive opening and closing). There are many candidate explanations, but none has been shown to correspond with a given experiment. Through computer models and matched experiments on this coupled system (the ....Matched experiments and numerical simulations of flow-induced oscillations in uniform and tapered-stiffness collapsible tubes. Flexible tubes that can be flattened are widespread in the body and can act to limit flow-rate. Limitation is usually associated with spontaneous oscillation (repetitive opening and closing). There are many candidate explanations, but none has been shown to correspond with a given experiment. Through computer models and matched experiments on this coupled system (the fluid flow interacts with the tube shape), we seek to demonstrate for the first time that a given theory/computer model encompasses the physics controlling a given observed oscillation. The solution will find application in other flexible-structure design problems in engineering, and also potentially in medicine.Read moreRead less
Flow-induced oscillation in flexible tubes: experimental and numerical investigation of mechanism and onset. We seek to understand when instability arises in flow over very deformable structures. This will help us to design highly flexible structures specifically either to avoid the danger of flow-induced oscillations, which may be damaging (cardiac surgery, sails, parachutes), or in other circumstances to take advantage of them as an innovative way involving no sliding-parts mechanisms to crea ....Flow-induced oscillation in flexible tubes: experimental and numerical investigation of mechanism and onset. We seek to understand when instability arises in flow over very deformable structures. This will help us to design highly flexible structures specifically either to avoid the danger of flow-induced oscillations, which may be damaging (cardiac surgery, sails, parachutes), or in other circumstances to take advantage of them as an innovative way involving no sliding-parts mechanisms to create vibration, or flow pulsation, or sound, or motion (as in swimming-pool cleaners). Confidence in designing with highly flexible tubes will allow minimal resource consumption in manufacture of products to transport fluids, and will allow design use of the flow limitation property, whereby such a tube can control flow-rate.Read moreRead less
Towards early detection of upper airway obstruction in children: investigation of autonomic control. This project focuses on the investigation of new indicators for early detection of upper airway obstruction (UAO)-which is a common sleep disorder in children. Failure to treat UAO can result in serious adverse outcomes including failure to thrive, neurocognitive deficits, developmental delay, behavioural disorders and cardiovascular disease. Thus, early treatment of UAO will significantly improv ....Towards early detection of upper airway obstruction in children: investigation of autonomic control. This project focuses on the investigation of new indicators for early detection of upper airway obstruction (UAO)-which is a common sleep disorder in children. Failure to treat UAO can result in serious adverse outcomes including failure to thrive, neurocognitive deficits, developmental delay, behavioural disorders and cardiovascular disease. Thus, early treatment of UAO will significantly improve quality of life for the child. Direct benefits to community health via reduced costs for medical treatment will also be a key outcome. The establishment of new diagnostic indicators will form the basis of new tools for identifying child sleep disorders and contribute to advancing Australia's international leading position in health technology. Read moreRead less