Novel Silver Nanoparticle Coatings For The Prevention Of Infection Of Biomedical Implants And Devices
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$455,305.00
Summary
This project targets infections associated with implants and biomedical devices such as catheters, pacemaker leads, knee and hip implants, by the development and evaluation of coatings delivering antibacterial silver ions. The novel coating method is more uniform and reproducible and can be applied to a wide range of biomedical implants and devices. The novel coatings will be tested for antimicrobial effectiveness and safety using cell and tissue culture methods and animal clinical studies.
Acoustic Blood Pressure Measurement On Implanted Biomedical Surfaces
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$184,687.00
Summary
Measurement of local blood pressure in is of great clinical importance. An application of particular interest is the pressure measurement in and around endoluminal stents grafts, which are used for the treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAAs). These grafts are implanted by keyhole surgery and are used to reduce the pressure on the aneurysm walls so that the artery can revert to its more anatomically correct shape on a timescale of one to two years. If the seal between the graft and the art ....Measurement of local blood pressure in is of great clinical importance. An application of particular interest is the pressure measurement in and around endoluminal stents grafts, which are used for the treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAAs). These grafts are implanted by keyhole surgery and are used to reduce the pressure on the aneurysm walls so that the artery can revert to its more anatomically correct shape on a timescale of one to two years. If the seal between the graft and the artery wall is not blood tight, then the aneurysm can become repressurised and may keep on expanding. Over time, an untreated, expanding AAA is likely to rupture with severe consequences for the patient. Thus a convenient, non-invasive means of measuring the pressure within the aneurysm and within the graft is highly desirable. In this proposal, we seek to produce a device that can be incorporated into the walls of the endoluminal graft, which can measure absolute pressure inside and outside the graft and where the pressure measurements can be obtained via standard acoustic or medical ultrasound equipment. To do this, we would use specially designed 'bubbles' which can be incorporated onto either side of the graft walls, where the resonant frequency of the bubbles provides a direct measurement of the pressure around the bubbles. Trials at the CSIRO have found that pressures can be measured to a resolution of better than 10 mmHg by using this technique on air bubbles in water. In this proposal, we wish to develop flexible, but semi-permanent bubbles that can be incorporated onto a biomedical implant surface. If such bubbles can be made, the researchers will use CSIRO-developed software and acoustic equipment such that local blood pressure can be measured in real time.Read moreRead less
Q-Sand (TM): Whispering Gallery Mode Detection System For Ultrasensitive And Label Free Testing In Biotechnology.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$127,750.00
Summary
Quantum Dots, a type of nanocrystal, have been shown to emit light at a very precise wavelength. Quantum dots of approximately 5 nm in diameter have been conjugated to a silica microsphere and then coated with free silica, thus encasing the Quantum Dots in a small chamber surrounding the microsphere. This structure is analogous to a light globe under a lampshade. Just as one can change the nature of the lamplight by changing the lampshade, one can change the Quantum Dot emitted light by changing ....Quantum Dots, a type of nanocrystal, have been shown to emit light at a very precise wavelength. Quantum dots of approximately 5 nm in diameter have been conjugated to a silica microsphere and then coated with free silica, thus encasing the Quantum Dots in a small chamber surrounding the microsphere. This structure is analogous to a light globe under a lampshade. Just as one can change the nature of the lamplight by changing the lampshade, one can change the Quantum Dot emitted light by changing the surface of the microsphere. Since the scale is so small (each microsphere is about the size of a single bacterial cell), the amount and nature of the material needed to bind to the surface to effect a detectable change is also very small, on the order of just of few tens or hundreds of molecules. This project seeks to exploit this principle to create a new class of ultra sensitive detector which can be used in many sorts of applications such as medical diagnostics and biosensing.Read moreRead less
Novel System For Non-Invasive Delivery Of Drugs To The Interior Of The Eye
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$200,213.00
Summary
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of visual loss for adults in the developed world. Treatment is now by needle injection into the back of the eye, which is painful for the patient and is costly for the health-care system. Seagull Technology Pty Ltd has developed a non-invasive device for treating the back of the eye without the need for a needle injection. This project will test the new device in animals and then move to a first safety study for human AMD patients.
Development Of Platelet-Targeted Nanoparticles For Magnetic Resonance Imaging Towards The Detection Of Thrombi/Emboli And Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaques
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$606,524.00
Summary
Heart attack, stroke and pulmonary embolism typically strike without warning and either kill patients or cause devastating disabilities. Currently, we do not have diagnostic methods to identify patients and the blood vessels at risk. We have developed a new innovative MRI nanoparticle directed against activated platelets for the detection of _at risk� blood vessels. The current funding is requested to optimise the manufacture of this targeted MRI nanoparticle and to undertake the animal studies ....Heart attack, stroke and pulmonary embolism typically strike without warning and either kill patients or cause devastating disabilities. Currently, we do not have diagnostic methods to identify patients and the blood vessels at risk. We have developed a new innovative MRI nanoparticle directed against activated platelets for the detection of _at risk� blood vessels. The current funding is requested to optimise the manufacture of this targeted MRI nanoparticle and to undertake the animal studies required to enter early stage clinical trials.Read moreRead less