Influence of electromagnetic emissions from mobile phones on nervous function in the human brain and heart. This research will investigate the influence of mobile phone electromagnetic exposures on the nervous function of the human brain and heart. Brain activity will be monitored by EEG recordings, and heart function will be measured by blood pressure and ECG. As far as possible the methodologies employed will be consistent with previous reported studies in order to allow comparisons, and use ....Influence of electromagnetic emissions from mobile phones on nervous function in the human brain and heart. This research will investigate the influence of mobile phone electromagnetic exposures on the nervous function of the human brain and heart. Brain activity will be monitored by EEG recordings, and heart function will be measured by blood pressure and ECG. As far as possible the methodologies employed will be consistent with previous reported studies in order to allow comparisons, and use standardised quantifiable metrics so that the biological significance of the data can be meaningfully interpreted. The outcomes of this project will address uncertainties in the present data which are of concern to national and international regulatory and health agencies.Read moreRead less
Scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration and use in orthopaedic applications. Damaged joints do not repair spontaneously, often leading to arthritis. Bone defects resulting from congenital defects or disease processes are challenging to regenerate and represent a major financial burden to our health system. Bone graft treatments are widely used but have considerable drawbacks. This created a need for scaffolds to provide temporary support for new bone. However they lack the combined physical/biolo ....Scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration and use in orthopaedic applications. Damaged joints do not repair spontaneously, often leading to arthritis. Bone defects resulting from congenital defects or disease processes are challenging to regenerate and represent a major financial burden to our health system. Bone graft treatments are widely used but have considerable drawbacks. This created a need for scaffolds to provide temporary support for new bone. However they lack the combined physical/biological properties necessary for bone repair. We developed new scaffolds with improved mechanical/biological properties to mimic bone which will lead to new treatments for bone damage.Read moreRead less
Improved effectiveness of cochlear implants through new simultaneous stimulation techniques. Cochlear implants have brought the gift of hearing to 250,000 people worldwide and are an excellent example of Australian innovation. This project will examine an improved "high fidelity" stimulation strategy with the objective of defining a safe stimulus range for clinical use and providing a commercial advantage for Cochlear Ltd.
Bone tissue engineering using innovative tubular dual-layered nanofiber meshes. Lifetime risks for long-bone fractures in Caucasians over the age of 50 are 17 per cent for women and 6 per cent for men. A clear therapeutic need exists to address the ever-increasing problems of diminished productivity and reduced quality of life associated with bone disorders as the population ages. To address this challenge, the project’s multidisciplinary, international team will develop technologies to heal tib ....Bone tissue engineering using innovative tubular dual-layered nanofiber meshes. Lifetime risks for long-bone fractures in Caucasians over the age of 50 are 17 per cent for women and 6 per cent for men. A clear therapeutic need exists to address the ever-increasing problems of diminished productivity and reduced quality of life associated with bone disorders as the population ages. To address this challenge, the project’s multidisciplinary, international team will develop technologies to heal tibial defects. Furthermore, it will establish Australia's prominence in the tissue engineering field, training the next generation of young scientists and engineers. This technology will be of interest to numerous research groups and companies worldwide and will foster international collaboration, placing Australia at the forefront of this emerging field.Read moreRead less
Hybrid Sensor-based Physiological Control of an Implantable Rotary Blood Pump. With over 11 million people needing heart transplants worldwide and only 3000 donor hearts, an effective alternative therapy is needed. The Ventracor Ltd. rotary blood pump is one possible approach whereby a fully implantable mechanical device assists the failing heart. The innovative steps in this research proposal will be a means to robustly and safely control the speed of the pump to meet the metabolic needs of the ....Hybrid Sensor-based Physiological Control of an Implantable Rotary Blood Pump. With over 11 million people needing heart transplants worldwide and only 3000 donor hearts, an effective alternative therapy is needed. The Ventracor Ltd. rotary blood pump is one possible approach whereby a fully implantable mechanical device assists the failing heart. The innovative steps in this research proposal will be a means to robustly and safely control the speed of the pump to meet the metabolic needs of the body. Apart from the obvious health benefits for patients, this will provide the company with a huge market advantage that will also help to bolster the Australian medical device industry.Read moreRead less
Virtual testing of orthopaedic devices as part of the design and development process: strategies to account for patient and surgical variability. Novel computational tools will be developed through this project to help account for patient and surgical variability in the design of orthopaedic implants, such as hip and knee replacements and spinal products. These tools will reduce the design time, give greater insight in implant performance and ultimately lead to safer implants with improved longe ....Virtual testing of orthopaedic devices as part of the design and development process: strategies to account for patient and surgical variability. Novel computational tools will be developed through this project to help account for patient and surgical variability in the design of orthopaedic implants, such as hip and knee replacements and spinal products. These tools will reduce the design time, give greater insight in implant performance and ultimately lead to safer implants with improved longevity.Read moreRead less
Intelligent training (iTraining) for the human Achilles tendon. The project aims to improve understanding of the mechanical environment of the Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon plays a crucial role in human motor function and is also a structure that is commonly injured and notoriously difficult to treat. A major barrier to improving Achilles tendon function, preventing tendon injury and enhancing tendon repair is a poor understanding of the mechanical environment of the Achilles tendon durin ....Intelligent training (iTraining) for the human Achilles tendon. The project aims to improve understanding of the mechanical environment of the Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon plays a crucial role in human motor function and is also a structure that is commonly injured and notoriously difficult to treat. A major barrier to improving Achilles tendon function, preventing tendon injury and enhancing tendon repair is a poor understanding of the mechanical environment of the Achilles tendon during training and rehabilitation. The project aims to develop a better understanding of the loading conditions that optimise tendon metabolism. Based on this, it then intends to develop new technologies to estimate the mechanical behaviour of the human Achilles tendon in real time based on integrated use of wearable technology, and new training guidelines that will optimise human tendon adaptation.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 Strontium Phosphate Coated Magnesium Alloys For ?Orthopaedic Use. This project aims to develop a functional strontium-release surface on magnesium-based orthopaedic implants to suppress the rapid degradation rate of magnesium, facilitate new bone formation and ultimately shorten the healing process. The development of practical, bone-favourable and degradation-inhibiting surfaces for magnesium implants are in demand and can bring significant patient benefits. The project seeks to esta ....Functional Strontium Phosphate Coated Magnesium Alloys For ?Orthopaedic Use. This project aims to develop a functional strontium-release surface on magnesium-based orthopaedic implants to suppress the rapid degradation rate of magnesium, facilitate new bone formation and ultimately shorten the healing process. The development of practical, bone-favourable and degradation-inhibiting surfaces for magnesium implants are in demand and can bring significant patient benefits. The project seeks to establish an understanding of the formation mechanisms of strontium-releasing coatings and determine the critical release rate of strontium to activate bone cell responses.Read moreRead less
Design and Development of a Low-Cost Portable Biofeedback Device for use in Sleep Induction and Relaxation. This project aims to expand on existing knowledge of the various stimuli used in sleep induction such as photic, auditory and weak electromagnetic stimulation and develop a low-cost portable biofeedback prototype. This novel device will be based on adaptive or fuzzy reasoning algorithms, which would be integrated into the existing ambulatory Siesta EEG recording system, produced by Compume ....Design and Development of a Low-Cost Portable Biofeedback Device for use in Sleep Induction and Relaxation. This project aims to expand on existing knowledge of the various stimuli used in sleep induction such as photic, auditory and weak electromagnetic stimulation and develop a low-cost portable biofeedback prototype. This novel device will be based on adaptive or fuzzy reasoning algorithms, which would be integrated into the existing ambulatory Siesta EEG recording system, produced by Compumedics Ltd. The development of this novel real-time biofeedback prototype will encourage further research using this particular technology to apply it in preventative healthcare in Australian community. The outcome of this proposed bioinstrumentation prototype could possibly expand sleep market to new international level.Read moreRead less