New Materials for an Implantable Blood Pump. Rotary blood pumps are at the leading edge of heart assist technology. VentrAssist has developed an innovative rotary blood pump with a hydro-dynamically suspended impeller. Advanced surface modifications will enable the device to be fabricated from polymers; this will make the device light, more compatible with the human body and less costly to produce. Surface treatments and coatings will be applied using ion implantation, to impart the required ....New Materials for an Implantable Blood Pump. Rotary blood pumps are at the leading edge of heart assist technology. VentrAssist has developed an innovative rotary blood pump with a hydro-dynamically suspended impeller. Advanced surface modifications will enable the device to be fabricated from polymers; this will make the device light, more compatible with the human body and less costly to produce. Surface treatments and coatings will be applied using ion implantation, to impart the required dimensional stability, impermeability and wear resistance. Following sophisticated experiments of modified materials, the best candidates will be used in prototype devices, for final selection of the optimal materials for the new device.Read moreRead less
Determining how calcium regulates mitochondrial function in models of cardiomyopathy. Heart failure is the leading cause of death in Australia. This project will determine the mechanisms by which the failing heart is associated with disorganisation of the cell and poor energy supply so that interventions aimed at reducing the development of heart failure can be developed.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120102878
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Mobile phone text reminders to modify behaviours and prevent cardiovascular disease. Strategies are needed to improve adherence to behavioural and medical preventative treatments for heart disease. Brief informative reminders sent via mobile phone text message have potential as a cheap and safe method of improving behavioural change and adherence to treatments in people at risk of cardiovascular disease.
Towards a healthier food supply: achieving policy change and industry action. This research aims to identify mechanisms by which to improve the quality of the Australian food supply. The findings will have the potential to inform government and industry policies on healthier foods with the aim of decreasing chronic disease.
Cytorefractometry - a new technique for refractive index tomography of living cells. An ultrahigh-resolution bifocal optical coherence refractometry is proposed, and will result to micron-scale-resolution refractive index tomography of living cells, termed cytorefractometry. This technique represents an extension from bifocal optical coherence refractometry that has recently shown a remarkable promise for direct, several-frames-per-second, motion-artifact-free determination of refractive index ....Cytorefractometry - a new technique for refractive index tomography of living cells. An ultrahigh-resolution bifocal optical coherence refractometry is proposed, and will result to micron-scale-resolution refractive index tomography of living cells, termed cytorefractometry. This technique represents an extension from bifocal optical coherence refractometry that has recently shown a remarkable promise for direct, several-frames-per-second, motion-artifact-free determination of refractive index in turbid media, including biological tissue in vivo. We propose to apply our novel technique to study tissue calcification, a serious problem in cardiology, by making use of the refractive index contrast mechanism. Calcification of smooth muscle cells and aorta subdermal implant models will be studied aiming for prevention of calcification-associated pathologies.Read moreRead less
Benefits of blood pressure lowering to combat cardiovascular disease. Stroke and heart attack are the commonest causes of death and adult disability. In Australia, approximately 50,000 people die from cardiovascular disease each year. This project will attempt to prevent stroke/heart attack and to improve quality of life by exploring better management of high blood pressure.
Binary regression with additive predictors: new statistical theory with healthcare applications. This project will develop new statistical analysis techniques for predicting whether someone is at risk of adverse health outcomes. The project will then apply the new techniques to a large database on heart attacks, leading to new insights into how patient characteristics and treatments affect the chance of dying from a heart attack.
Microwave Differential Imaging of Myocardium for Assessment and Therapeutic Monitoring of Transcatheter Cardiac Ablation. We propose to develop Microwave Imaging techniques for cardiovascular disease diagnosis at 2.45 GHz. Firstly, we aim to image the contrast in the complex dielectric constants of healthy and ischaemic heart tissue. The second aim is to image the extent and efficacy of therapeutic lesion formation due to cardiac ablation modalities. We propose to develop a cylindrical antenna ....Microwave Differential Imaging of Myocardium for Assessment and Therapeutic Monitoring of Transcatheter Cardiac Ablation. We propose to develop Microwave Imaging techniques for cardiovascular disease diagnosis at 2.45 GHz. Firstly, we aim to image the contrast in the complex dielectric constants of healthy and ischaemic heart tissue. The second aim is to image the extent and efficacy of therapeutic lesion formation due to cardiac ablation modalities. We propose to develop a cylindrical antenna array for near field microwave imaging using novel wire antenna elements. Fast and iterative reconstruction algorithms based on electromagnetic scattering and computational techniques will also be developed.Read moreRead less
Using high performance computing to probe the genesis of cardiac arrhythmias. Disturbances to the normal rhythm of the heart beat cause approximately 15 per cent of deaths in Australia. The project aims to understand how electrical signals in the heart can become chaotic. The project will use computer models of heart rhythm disturbances to help us understand when and how arrhythmias occur.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100210
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$350,000.00
Summary
In-vivo, high-resolution, whole animal imaging . The purchase of state-of-the-art live-animal imaging equipment for use by researchers at The Australian National University and The University of New South Wales. This equipment will aid the study of many aspects of normal biology and disease including cancer, inflammation, autoimmune diseases and blood vessel disorders.