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
Innovative approach to design a new osseointegrated implant for transfemoral amputees with better resistance to fractures. Transfemoral amputees fitted with an osseointegrated implant are experiencing numerous valuable benefits compare to their previous method conventional attachment. However, 40% of them present an early loosening of the implant or ruptures of the abutment. These problems are related to the load regime acting on the fixation system during post-operative rehabilitation and daily ....Innovative approach to design a new osseointegrated implant for transfemoral amputees with better resistance to fractures. Transfemoral amputees fitted with an osseointegrated implant are experiencing numerous valuable benefits compare to their previous method conventional attachment. However, 40% of them present an early loosening of the implant or ruptures of the abutment. These problems are related to the load regime acting on the fixation system during post-operative rehabilitation and daily life activities. In this project, the direct measurement of the actual load applied on the abutment during:
· the load bearing exercises is essential to refine the post- operative rehabilitation program.
· every-day activities is crucial to improve the design and
testing of the implants and abutments.Read moreRead less
Functional nonlinear optical endoscopy - the third-generation optical endoscopy technology toward early cancer detection at a cellular level. The third-generation optical endoscopy technology can be used for a better understanding of nonlinear optical interaction with organ sites and thus for early cancer detection. Such a novel device will enable biomedical scientists to gain the fundamental knowledge needed to enable Australians to develop better medical strategies for health and productive li ....Functional nonlinear optical endoscopy - the third-generation optical endoscopy technology toward early cancer detection at a cellular level. The third-generation optical endoscopy technology can be used for a better understanding of nonlinear optical interaction with organ sites and thus for early cancer detection. Such a novel device will enable biomedical scientists to gain the fundamental knowledge needed to enable Australians to develop better medical strategies for health and productive lives. Since 1 in 3 Australians will feel the effects of cancers, development of portable nonlinear optical endoscopes is of national importance, in particular for rural Australia, and therefore improves the healthcare of human beings. The potential spin-off activity will lead to economic benefits from new R&D development.Read moreRead less
Optical Fibre Touch Sensor for Cochlear Implants. The touch sensor will be part of a cochlear implant, which is surgically implanted to provide a sense of hearing for people who are profoundly or severely deaf. Approximately 100,000 people worldwide have received cochlear implants so far. However, the delicate internal structures of the ear can easily be damaged when the implant is inserted. By helping surgeons to preserve the inner ear, this sensor will help to further improve the hearing abili ....Optical Fibre Touch Sensor for Cochlear Implants. The touch sensor will be part of a cochlear implant, which is surgically implanted to provide a sense of hearing for people who are profoundly or severely deaf. Approximately 100,000 people worldwide have received cochlear implants so far. However, the delicate internal structures of the ear can easily be damaged when the implant is inserted. By helping surgeons to preserve the inner ear, this sensor will help to further improve the hearing ability of future patients. The 'bionic ear' was invented in Australia and this project will help to ensure the continued success of Australia's world leading implant industry.Read moreRead less
Asymmetrically Twisted Structures to form High-Power Rotary Micromotors for In-Vivo Swimming Microrobots. Major surgery is traumatic and risky, but often the only choice for the most serious of diseases that affect older people. In this study, we aim to provide doctors with a means to avoid major surgery and extend the capabilities of doctors to diagnose and treat patients using non- and minimally-invasive procedures: a powerful micromotor carrying its own power supply and a special flagellar pr ....Asymmetrically Twisted Structures to form High-Power Rotary Micromotors for In-Vivo Swimming Microrobots. Major surgery is traumatic and risky, but often the only choice for the most serious of diseases that affect older people. In this study, we aim to provide doctors with a means to avoid major surgery and extend the capabilities of doctors to diagnose and treat patients using non- and minimally-invasive procedures: a powerful micromotor carrying its own power supply and a special flagellar propeller to swim within the vascular and digestive systems of the human body to perform tasks via remote control. We also aim to understand the mechanisms underlying the operation of our motor system and flagellar motion in fluids to assist in the understanding of twisted blade structures and propulsion in fluids on the micro-scale.Read moreRead less