Detection and Quantification of General Fetal Movements from Accelerometer Measurements using Nonstationary Signal Processing Techniques. There are approximately 1,750 fetal deaths per year in Australian with about one-third occurring late in gestation and without an apparent cause. The development of an automated system capable of long-term monitoring of fetal health will result in accurate diagnoses and prediction of future outcome. This will, in turn, allow early intervention by the clinicia ....Detection and Quantification of General Fetal Movements from Accelerometer Measurements using Nonstationary Signal Processing Techniques. There are approximately 1,750 fetal deaths per year in Australian with about one-third occurring late in gestation and without an apparent cause. The development of an automated system capable of long-term monitoring of fetal health will result in accurate diagnoses and prediction of future outcome. This will, in turn, allow early intervention by the clinician to reduce fetal deaths and enhance the chances of good outcomes with resultant savings in social and financial costs to the community. The development of such equipment would spawn future research into intervention treatments and contribute to Australia's position as a world leader in computerised health monitoring systems.Read moreRead less
ARC Research Network on Intelligent Sensors, Sensor Networks and Information Processing. Sensor networks, a collection of diverse sensors interconnected via an ad-hoc communication network, are identified as one of the key technologies that over the next two decades will change the way we live. This research network brings together an interdisciplinary team of outstanding Australian researchers representing all the key disciplines required to successfully deploy sensor networks and links this te ....ARC Research Network on Intelligent Sensors, Sensor Networks and Information Processing. Sensor networks, a collection of diverse sensors interconnected via an ad-hoc communication network, are identified as one of the key technologies that over the next two decades will change the way we live. This research network brings together an interdisciplinary team of outstanding Australian researchers representing all the key disciplines required to successfully deploy sensor networks and links this team with the foremost international authorities and leading industry players in the area of sensor networks. This research network will guide collaborative research that will ensure Australia to play a world leading role in sensor network development and implementation.
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Identifying tear lipids, their deposition onto contact lenses and their role in the development of dry eye. Lipids provide a critical layer in the human tear film that retards evaporation and helps nourish and protect the eye. We will identify the molecules within this essential "oil slick" to better understand dry eye syndrome and the discomfort associated with wearing contact lenses. This may lead to new treatments for dry eye and novel technologies that provide greater comfort for the ~120,00 ....Identifying tear lipids, their deposition onto contact lenses and their role in the development of dry eye. Lipids provide a critical layer in the human tear film that retards evaporation and helps nourish and protect the eye. We will identify the molecules within this essential "oil slick" to better understand dry eye syndrome and the discomfort associated with wearing contact lenses. This may lead to new treatments for dry eye and novel technologies that provide greater comfort for the ~120,000 Australians who wear contact lenses. This collaborative research directly supports the mission of a respected non-profit organisation (Institute for Eye Research) and will train scientists in world-leading analytical technologies that are essential to Australia's emerging biotechnology industries.Read moreRead less
Automatic detection of the circle of Willis in neuro-images using multi-scale gradient calculation and knowledge-based genetic algorithms. Stroke is the third most common cause of death and a major contributor to long term disability in Australia. The most efficient way of preventing stroke from happening is to detect related symptoms early. The group of cerebral blood vessels that closely related to strokes is the circle of Willis (CoW). We build a system that can automatically detect and quan ....Automatic detection of the circle of Willis in neuro-images using multi-scale gradient calculation and knowledge-based genetic algorithms. Stroke is the third most common cause of death and a major contributor to long term disability in Australia. The most efficient way of preventing stroke from happening is to detect related symptoms early. The group of cerebral blood vessels that closely related to strokes is the circle of Willis (CoW). We build a system that can automatically detect and quantify CoW in neuroimages, providing ways of preventing strokes from happening. The project will enhance Australia¡¯s leading position in promoting and maintaining good health, especially in preventive healthcare.Read moreRead less
Novel Motion Correction Technologies for Simultaneous Positron Emission Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The recent development of the world's first prototype combined MR-PET scanner for human use has prompted immense interest. MR-PET is likely to revolutionize clinical diagnosis and basic research, by providing exquisite structural images co-registered with simultaneous functional PET images. We will exploit the as yet unexplored potential for motion information derived from the MR sy ....Novel Motion Correction Technologies for Simultaneous Positron Emission Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The recent development of the world's first prototype combined MR-PET scanner for human use has prompted immense interest. MR-PET is likely to revolutionize clinical diagnosis and basic research, by providing exquisite structural images co-registered with simultaneous functional PET images. We will exploit the as yet unexplored potential for motion information derived from the MR system to be used to correct the simultaneously acquired PET data for patient motion. This research is an excellent opportunity for Australian researchers to make important contributions to an emerging technology with high economic potential, and will strengthen Australia's international position in engineering and biomedical systems development.Read moreRead less
An MEG (brain imaging) system to study cognitive processing in children. This project introduces the world's first brain imaging system to study cognitive processing in children, using magnetoencephalography (MEG). MEG offers precise measurement of brain activities using a non-invasive, non-contact method. MEG is an ideal brain imaging device for use with children and with special clinical populations. It promises to be valuable (a) for the identification of cortical functions of the human brain ....An MEG (brain imaging) system to study cognitive processing in children. This project introduces the world's first brain imaging system to study cognitive processing in children, using magnetoencephalography (MEG). MEG offers precise measurement of brain activities using a non-invasive, non-contact method. MEG is an ideal brain imaging device for use with children and with special clinical populations. It promises to be valuable (a) for the identification of cortical functions of the human brain prior to surgery, (b) for the diagnosis of loci for developmental and acquired brain disorders, (c) in determining pharmaceutical effects on children, and (d) in the assessment of recovery of sensory and cognitive functions following brain injury. Read moreRead less
Innovative visualization of next-generation biomedical images. This project addresses the difficult problems associated with managing the vast amounts of data that are currently available with advanced imaging devices and displaying these data so that the maximum amount of information can be extracted. Developing visualization capabilities for such data is not a trivial undertaking but the outcome of this research will produce enabling visualization technologies that will significantly impact th ....Innovative visualization of next-generation biomedical images. This project addresses the difficult problems associated with managing the vast amounts of data that are currently available with advanced imaging devices and displaying these data so that the maximum amount of information can be extracted. Developing visualization capabilities for such data is not a trivial undertaking but the outcome of this research will produce enabling visualization technologies that will significantly impact the life science, biomedical research and the way clinicians view and use these data for patient management. These technologies will have broad applications across biology and molecular science and will enhance Australia's leading position in the development of frontier technologies.Read moreRead less
Intelligent Image Processing Techniques for Novel Biomarker Discovery. This project will make an impact on Australia's international research profile by seeking a solution to a worldwide challenging problem in biomarker discovery for the detection of diseases at an early stage which requires the incorporation of the skills and knowledge from biology, medicine, engineering, computer science, and information technology. The successful outcomes of this research will make an impact on Australia's e ....Intelligent Image Processing Techniques for Novel Biomarker Discovery. This project will make an impact on Australia's international research profile by seeking a solution to a worldwide challenging problem in biomarker discovery for the detection of diseases at an early stage which requires the incorporation of the skills and knowledge from biology, medicine, engineering, computer science, and information technology. The successful outcomes of this research will make an impact on Australia's engagement in using advanced image analysis and intelligent methods for the emerging research and development of targeted drug discovery. Read moreRead less
Learning Medical Image Knowledge. We aim to develop Machine Learning and Knowledge Acquisition techniques for automated recognition of features in medical images, and to provide decision support for diagnosis from medical images. The project is innovative in its use of layered learning, where the computer first learns to recognise low-level image features that are then used to learn more complex features. The project is also innovative in combining a variety of automatic learning methods, includ ....Learning Medical Image Knowledge. We aim to develop Machine Learning and Knowledge Acquisition techniques for automated recognition of features in medical images, and to provide decision support for diagnosis from medical images. The project is innovative in its use of layered learning, where the computer first learns to recognise low-level image features that are then used to learn more complex features. The project is also innovative in combining a variety of automatic learning methods, including relational learning, with human-assisted knowledge acquisition methods. The expected outcomes will be new techniques for image understanding, particularly for our test domain, namely, High Resolution Computed Tomography scans of the lung.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