Devices that use Ion Channels. The proposed device would supply the community of researchers in Australia and internationally with new techniques to enable them to quickly and conveniently investigate properties of ion channels and to speed the screening of potential ion channel targets for pharmaceutical hits and leads. In addition, the tethered membrane technology will be developed to fill an unmet need for a quick and biologically relevant test of EMC hazards. This will enhance the science an ....Devices that use Ion Channels. The proposed device would supply the community of researchers in Australia and internationally with new techniques to enable them to quickly and conveniently investigate properties of ion channels and to speed the screening of potential ion channel targets for pharmaceutical hits and leads. In addition, the tethered membrane technology will be developed to fill an unmet need for a quick and biologically relevant test of EMC hazards. This will enhance the science and technology infrastructure within Australia, taking it into original and exciting directions, contribute to training young Australian scientists and students, as well as enhance Australia's competitive position in the field of nanobiotechnology.Read moreRead less
Development of new methods to measure in vivo properties of human body tissues. This project will develop new methods of noninvasively measuring the viscoelastic properties of soft tissues in live humans, using a novel magnetic resonance elastography technique. These methods will be applied to study the operation of the human muscle-tendon system, differences in neck muscle properties with age and gender and to measure the properties of the human brain, kidney and liver in vivo. These techniques ....Development of new methods to measure in vivo properties of human body tissues. This project will develop new methods of noninvasively measuring the viscoelastic properties of soft tissues in live humans, using a novel magnetic resonance elastography technique. These methods will be applied to study the operation of the human muscle-tendon system, differences in neck muscle properties with age and gender and to measure the properties of the human brain, kidney and liver in vivo. These techniques may be useful in diagnosing soft tissue disease or injury which are currently difficult to detect using standard imaging techniques. It will also explain how the muscle-tendon unit moves during normal motion in live humans.Read moreRead less
Quantification of the Remineralisation of Enamel. This project has three specific aims:
1. To quantify the ultrastructure and mechanisms of remineralisation of enamel using scanning and transmission electron microscopy.
2. To determine the mechanical properties of remineralised tissue and compare with those of sound enamel.
3. To develop an in-vivo optical fibre probe for monitoring and quantifying the changes of mineralised carious tissue during remineralisation.
This project will enable ....Quantification of the Remineralisation of Enamel. This project has three specific aims:
1. To quantify the ultrastructure and mechanisms of remineralisation of enamel using scanning and transmission electron microscopy.
2. To determine the mechanical properties of remineralised tissue and compare with those of sound enamel.
3. To develop an in-vivo optical fibre probe for monitoring and quantifying the changes of mineralised carious tissue during remineralisation.
This project will enable patients prone to orthodontic induced root resorption to be identified and also to assist with validating repair of enamel tooth structure in a non-surgical manner. It is anticipated to result in the development of a novel fibre optic instrument with applications beyond dentistry.
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Development of an implantable device to monitor lactate levels in blood: Monitoring the Performance of Australian athletes using Biosensor Technology. Sport is a critical area for social and economic investments. Novel medical monitoring systems using implantable biosensors will ensure optimal training programs for Australian athletes and maintain international competitiveness. Here we are developing a biosensor for real-time monitoring of lactate levels in athletes using frontier porous semicon ....Development of an implantable device to monitor lactate levels in blood: Monitoring the Performance of Australian athletes using Biosensor Technology. Sport is a critical area for social and economic investments. Novel medical monitoring systems using implantable biosensors will ensure optimal training programs for Australian athletes and maintain international competitiveness. Here we are developing a biosensor for real-time monitoring of lactate levels in athletes using frontier porous semiconductor technology and smart telemetry protocols to transfer the readings to a remote base unit. These highly innovative devices and the materials that they are made from have enormous commercial potential in biomedical engineering. There is a strong potential for Australia to have an important stake in this area by combining expertise in engineering, chemistry and nanostructured materials.Read moreRead less
Hybrid Imaging System for Breast Cancer Detection. Due to the ever increasing number of breast cancer mortalities in Australia, there is an urgent need for an efficient and reliable diagnostic imaging system. This research utilises a novel method to build an imaging system, which is accurate and reliable in the early detection of tumours. The work of this fellowship will improve quality of life of Australian women and put us at the international forefront of research in medical imaging, enhancin ....Hybrid Imaging System for Breast Cancer Detection. Due to the ever increasing number of breast cancer mortalities in Australia, there is an urgent need for an efficient and reliable diagnostic imaging system. This research utilises a novel method to build an imaging system, which is accurate and reliable in the early detection of tumours. The work of this fellowship will improve quality of life of Australian women and put us at the international forefront of research in medical imaging, enhancing our already significant international presence in the area. The project will potentially lead to valuable intellectual property for commercialisation opportunities besides strengthening key international collaborations.Read moreRead less
Novel EEG data mining methods for detecting and monitoring brain injury. The outcomes of this project could ultimately help produce novel technology which would enable bedside monitoring of brain function in patients with brain injuries such as stroke. This technology could aid critical care and treatment of such patients. Hence patients' recoveries could be positively affected and the high death or disability rates associated with such conditions could be reduced. A host of economic and social ....Novel EEG data mining methods for detecting and monitoring brain injury. The outcomes of this project could ultimately help produce novel technology which would enable bedside monitoring of brain function in patients with brain injuries such as stroke. This technology could aid critical care and treatment of such patients. Hence patients' recoveries could be positively affected and the high death or disability rates associated with such conditions could be reduced. A host of economic and social benefits for patients, their families, hospitals and their staff, governments and healthcare organisations could thus result. The developed technology would be non-invasive, compact and relatively inexpensive, and could thus be used in rural and regional hospitals, thereby also benefiting patients in those communities. 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
Understanding the biomechanical effects of fixation strategies to improve the technology of fracture management. Severe limb trauma is the leading cause of disability to people of wage-earning age, and 150,000 Australians are hospitalised with fractures each year. Beyond the direct costs to the nation of $1000 million annually, temporary and permanent loss of limb functionality have a significant impact on productivity and quality of life. The computational models developed in this project will ....Understanding the biomechanical effects of fixation strategies to improve the technology of fracture management. Severe limb trauma is the leading cause of disability to people of wage-earning age, and 150,000 Australians are hospitalised with fractures each year. Beyond the direct costs to the nation of $1000 million annually, temporary and permanent loss of limb functionality have a significant impact on productivity and quality of life. The computational models developed in this project will address critical gaps in the knowledge of fracture healing and the influence of different fixation devices. The project outcomes will provide a basis for tailoring fixation technologies for more reliable outcomes and minimised risk of non-union and complications, and thereby reducing physical impairment and the socio-economic burden of fractures.Read moreRead less
Biomedical imaging with spins in nanoparticles: from single cell to whole-body scanning. The engineering of new biomedical technology is critical in underpinning our understanding of physiology and in the early detection of disease. This project will construct novel instrumentation for investigating normal and diseased physiology using bioagents based on diamond and ruby nanoparticles. The imaging and tracking techniques proposed are non-invasive, nontoxic, and provide high-resolution access to ....Biomedical imaging with spins in nanoparticles: from single cell to whole-body scanning. The engineering of new biomedical technology is critical in underpinning our understanding of physiology and in the early detection of disease. This project will construct novel instrumentation for investigating normal and diseased physiology using bioagents based on diamond and ruby nanoparticles. The imaging and tracking techniques proposed are non-invasive, nontoxic, and provide high-resolution access to specific physiological interactions of paramount importance in, for instance, understanding cancer pathways and developing strategies for targeted drug delivery.Read moreRead less
Correction of the Effects of Gradient Field Nonlinearity in Magnetic Resonance Imaging - A Complete 3-Dimensional Approach. The outcomes of this research will have direct benefits to various areas of diagnostic and interventional medicine especially in neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis or brain tumors. The techniques developed in this project will in general enable MRI to provide a higher quality service to the community.