Robotic microsurgery: intra-operative measurement, modelling and micromanipulation control. This research will significantly improve microsurgery and minimally invasive surgery techniques, and further produce important benefits to medicine and healthcare. The project will also open new domains in the capabilities of modelling and control of complex systems with significant impact and benefits to numerous science and engineering practices.
Dynamic Mechano-Microscopy for use in Mechanobiology . We will develop an innovative microscope that will enable new discoveries in biology. Most microscopes form images of a sample's optical properties, instead we will image a sample's mechanical properties. The reason our novel approach is needed is that cell behaviour depends on the stiffness of it's environment, but current microscopes are unable to image this. Our microscope will provide insights in biology that can improve our understandi ....Dynamic Mechano-Microscopy for use in Mechanobiology . We will develop an innovative microscope that will enable new discoveries in biology. Most microscopes form images of a sample's optical properties, instead we will image a sample's mechanical properties. The reason our novel approach is needed is that cell behaviour depends on the stiffness of it's environment, but current microscopes are unable to image this. Our microscope will provide insights in biology that can improve our understanding of cells, the building blocks of life. We will achieve this by: 1. Developing a microscope that combines microscopic resolution with rapid imaging; 2: Developing the capability to image both within the cell and its surrounding environment; and 3. Using our microscope to make discoveries in biology.Read moreRead less
Light Activated Electrochemistry: Microelectrode Arrays with just one wire. Electrochemistry requires each electrode to be connected to the external circuit by a wire. With many electrodes this means many wires. Wires limit electrode density in arrays and dictate that the electrode architecture must be predetermined. This project aims to remove the need for a wire for each electrode by using light to sequentially connect each electrode to a single wire. This will be achieved using modified silic ....Light Activated Electrochemistry: Microelectrode Arrays with just one wire. Electrochemistry requires each electrode to be connected to the external circuit by a wire. With many electrodes this means many wires. Wires limit electrode density in arrays and dictate that the electrode architecture must be predetermined. This project aims to remove the need for a wire for each electrode by using light to sequentially connect each electrode to a single wire. This will be achieved using modified silicon electrodes where irradiating with light causes an increase in conductivity at the illumination spot. The project will explore the variables that influence the spatial resolution and apply the ideas to making soft connects for nanoelectronics and making high density electrode arrays for electroanalysis.Read moreRead less
Experiments with Advanced Isolation Systems, Suspension and Test Masses Using ACIGA's High Optical Power Test Facility. This proposal will allow experimental verification of the performcane of of sapphire test masses and their associated isolation and suspension system in ACIGA's high optical power test facility at Gingin. The work will contribute to the worldwide effort to increase the sensitivity of laser interferometers to the level where known sources of gravitational waves can be detected ....Experiments with Advanced Isolation Systems, Suspension and Test Masses Using ACIGA's High Optical Power Test Facility. This proposal will allow experimental verification of the performcane of of sapphire test masses and their associated isolation and suspension system in ACIGA's high optical power test facility at Gingin. The work will contribute to the worldwide effort to increase the sensitivity of laser interferometers to the level where known sources of gravitational waves can be detected at a reasonable rate.Read moreRead less
Sub-picosecond studies of matter using intense light from a Free Electron Laser. An Australian research group will use their new ultra-fast timing technology in combination with a new, extremely bright light source, the FERMI Free Electron Laser, Italy. FERMI makes picosecond wide light pulses - the timing technology measures times significantly shorter than a nanosecond. In combination, the way intense light effects the structure of atoms & molecules is studied, leading to an in-depth understa ....Sub-picosecond studies of matter using intense light from a Free Electron Laser. An Australian research group will use their new ultra-fast timing technology in combination with a new, extremely bright light source, the FERMI Free Electron Laser, Italy. FERMI makes picosecond wide light pulses - the timing technology measures times significantly shorter than a nanosecond. In combination, the way intense light effects the structure of atoms & molecules is studied, leading to an in-depth understanding of the processes involved. The new detector technology will be characterised using an electron recycling spectrometer, a new method for making electron beams of a particular energy by storing electrons in a racetrack orbit.Read moreRead less
Control of Instabilities in Advanced Gravitational Wave Detectors. Gravitational wave technology from UWA has already given rise to significant spin-offs including sapphire oscillators for radar applications and vibration isolators for airborne mineral exploration. This project will lead to techniques for increasing the sensitivity of already extraordinary sensitive instruments, and could have applications in many areas. The project will strengthen Australia's role in the world wide quest to det ....Control of Instabilities in Advanced Gravitational Wave Detectors. Gravitational wave technology from UWA has already given rise to significant spin-offs including sapphire oscillators for radar applications and vibration isolators for airborne mineral exploration. This project will lead to techniques for increasing the sensitivity of already extraordinary sensitive instruments, and could have applications in many areas. The project will strengthen Australia's role in the world wide quest to detect gravitational waves, which is one of the most significant and challenging human endeavours. The project will use the superb national research facility at Gingin. Its content contributes to the Eureka Prize winning Gravity Discovery Centre also located at the site, which is a major centre for science education.Read moreRead less
A novel precision-engineered microfluidic chip for wear particle research. This project aims to develop 1- novel protocols to generate clinically-relevant wear particles from spinal implants in-vitro and 2- a technological framework for the fabrication of a novel microfluidic 3D spinal implant-on-a-chip with tailored mechanical, material and biological properties. This will provide a cost-effective tool, currently unavailable, that allows investigation into the impact of wear particles on health ....A novel precision-engineered microfluidic chip for wear particle research. This project aims to develop 1- novel protocols to generate clinically-relevant wear particles from spinal implants in-vitro and 2- a technological framework for the fabrication of a novel microfluidic 3D spinal implant-on-a-chip with tailored mechanical, material and biological properties. This will provide a cost-effective tool, currently unavailable, that allows investigation into the impact of wear particles on healthy spinal disc cells. We expect our technological framework to become an invaluable tool for biomedical engineers, biologists, and bio-engineers to work together and generate clinically relevant in-vitro data that supports optimisation for spinal implant design, fabrication, and safety. Read moreRead less
Imaging of properties of coherent elastic light scattering from turbid biological media. Imaging with coherent, elastically-scattered light for visualisation of thick-tissue morphology in vivo, or of cells buried deep in a turbid medium, remains a major challenge. We adopt an alternative approach of imaging of properties of light scattering based on regarding cellular tissue as a spatially-varying refractive-index continuum which encodes scattered light. We propose new methodologies to infer t ....Imaging of properties of coherent elastic light scattering from turbid biological media. Imaging with coherent, elastically-scattered light for visualisation of thick-tissue morphology in vivo, or of cells buried deep in a turbid medium, remains a major challenge. We adopt an alternative approach of imaging of properties of light scattering based on regarding cellular tissue as a spatially-varying refractive-index continuum which encodes scattered light. We propose new methodologies to infer tissue state and morphology indirectly based on phase delay, speckle, and angle-resolved scattering. We will break new ground in correlating the structure and function of in situ epithelial tissue and cells to light scattering enabling, e.g., the detection of mitosis and apoptosis in cells buried in thick, turbid media, and of cancers and precancers in vivo.Read moreRead less
Neuroimage as biomechanical model: new real-time computational biomechanics of the brain. This project is to extend to medicine the success computational mechanics has enjoyed in traditional engineering. The project will create enabling modelling and computing technologies for Computer-Integrated Surgery Systems that could help to improve clinical outcomes and the efficiency of health care delivery.
Advances in optical coherence tomography. We propose to continue our research into the biomedical imaging technique of optical coherence tomography by making substantial new advances in the key areas of ultra-broad bandwidth operation, coincident confocal gate scanning, and dispersion compensation. These advances are aimed at improving resolution to the 1-5 micron range, which should allow a breakthrough to sub-cellular in vivo imaging, making visible sample histology in situ, which is currentl ....Advances in optical coherence tomography. We propose to continue our research into the biomedical imaging technique of optical coherence tomography by making substantial new advances in the key areas of ultra-broad bandwidth operation, coincident confocal gate scanning, and dispersion compensation. These advances are aimed at improving resolution to the 1-5 micron range, which should allow a breakthrough to sub-cellular in vivo imaging, making visible sample histology in situ, which is currently not possible. We also plan to make advances in the key area of scanning delay line technology by employing acousto-optics in OCT for the first time. Acousto-optics conveys advantages in no-moving-parts, scan-speed and accuracy.Read moreRead less