BODY OF WORK
Australian innovators have a long history of advancing the world’s biomedical capabilities. The future looks just as bright, with engineers hard at work on devices that will help improve the lives of people around the world. From eyes to ears, head to heart, and 3D printing to ultrasound, here’s a snapshot of Australia’s biomedical body of work.
Click the red dots to explore.
Spray-on Skin
Layer By Layer
Spray-on Skin
Layer By Layer
WHEN? 1993
WHO? Fiona Wood and Marie Stoner
WHY? Scarring and recovery time for severe burn victims can be greatly reduced if replacement skin is provided within 10 days. However, previous techniques required 21 days to produce enough cells to cover major burns.
WHAT NEXT? Wood and Stoner explored tissue engineering techniques to significantly reduce the time it takes to culture skin cells from 21 days to five. Rather than having to place whole sheets of skin, cells can be sprayed onto the affected area. It’s now used under the commercial name RECELL and is approved for use in Australia, the US, parts of Europe and China.
Ceramic Bone Scaffolds
The Imitation Game
Ceramic Bone Scaffolds
The Imitation Game
WHEN? 2018
WHO? Hala Zreiqat
WHY? Metal grafts can help millions of people around the world who suffer from broken bones or bone loss. But they come with downsides: they can cause discomfort, and they are sometimes rejected by the patient’s immune system. More natural materials like ceramic can eliminate these issues.
WHAT NEXT? Ceramic implants have been successfully tested on sheep and rabbits. Human trials are next. They’ll begin with smaller jobs like spinal defects and broken jaws before moving on to load-bearing bones in the legs and hips.
CPAP Sleep Apnea Mask
Snore No More
CPAP Sleep Apnea Mask
Snore No More
WHEN? 1981
WHO? Professor Colin Sullivan, University of Sydney, and Dr Peter Farrell, Baxter Centre for Medical Research (BCMR). Farrell later founded ResMed, which currently manufactures CPAP sleep apnea masks.
WHY? Almost 25 per cent of men and 9 per cent of women aged 30 and over have sleep apnea, but many don’t know it — 80 per cent of cases go undiagnosed. It can also lead to serious health complications, like increased risk for heart attack, stroke and diabetes.
WHAT NEXT? Another Australian company, Oventus, is developing a 3D printable sleep apnea mask that can be customised based on patient CT scans.
Biopen
Healing With The Stroke of a Pen
Biopen
Healing With The Stroke of a Pen
WHEN? 2018
WHO? University of Wollongong, University of Melbourne, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne
WHY? Each year, more than 100,000 knee and hip replacements take place to treat arthritis. Treating damaged joints and cartilage with stem cells could save time and money while improving the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of people.
WHAT NEXT? An ageing population means the incidence of joint injuries is likely to go up. Developers are working on improving the prototype device and ink recipes.
Cochlear Implant
The Sweetest Sound
Cochlear Implant
The Sweetest Sound
WHEN? 1967
WHO? Graeme Clark, Cochlear
WHY? Graeme Clark’s father was deaf, and Clark saw firsthand how this affected his life. Clark spent 10 years researching electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve via an implant into the inner ear. The first person received a Cochlear implant in 1978. Now, Cochlear implants are helping people around the world hear.
WHAT NEXT? More than 250,000 devices have been implanted in people aged between a few months to almost 100 years old. The Cochlear company continues to fine-tune the technology to help users better block out background noises. They’ve also added the ability for users to connect their Cochlear implant to their mobile device. Over time the company hopes to integrate AI and remote aftercare.
Portable ‘Iron Lung’
Breathing Easier
Portable ‘Iron Lung’
Breathing Easier
WHEN? 1937
WHO? Edward and Donald Both
WHY? Many polio patients died after their chest muscles became paralysed. The cast-iron breathing cabinet, or ‘iron lung’, saved lives, but it was complicated, expensive and so heavy that some floors struggled to support them. Then along came the Both brothers, who in 1937 during a polio outbreak in South Australia created a cheap, lightweight and more portable alternative. This meant people could move out of hospital and get treatment in their own homes.
WHAT NEXT? Although polio is all but eradicated in many countries and other breathing apparatus are now popular, some polio survivors still use Both respirators. Fun fact: Edward Both also invented an electrocardiograph machine.
3D-Printed Ribcage
The Skeletal Wonder From Down Under
3D-Printed Ribcage
The Skeletal Wonder From Down Under
WHEN? 2016-17
WHO? Anatomics and CSIRO
WHY? A Spanish man and a US woman lost parts of their rib cage due to disease. Although they had implants, those were extremely uncomfortable. 3D printing allowed for them to receive customised rib cage prostheses that moulded to their bodies.
WHAT NEXT? There has been an explosion of interest in 3D printing for biomedical applications — and Australia is leading the charge. Other Australian innovations include a 3D-printed vertebra and a titanium heel. “We are absolutely punching above our weight internationally,” said Stefan Gulizia, Research Group Leader in the Manufacturing Business Unit at CSIRO.
Pacemaker
Set the Pace
Pacemaker
Set the Pace
WHEN? 1926; 1963
WHO? Dr Mark Lidwell and Edgar Booth; Telectronics
WHY? In 1926, pacemaker pioneers Dr Mark Lidwell and Edgar Booth built what many consider to be the world’s first portable pacemaker. It was used to resuscitate a stillborn infant in 1929.
WHAT NEXT? Australian company Telectronics, founded in 1963, built on previous technology to advance pacemakers, including:
- Narrowing the electric impulse to 0.5 milliseconds;
- Encasing the pacemaker in titanium instead of epoxy;
- Creating a pacemaker that responded in real time to a user’s physical exertion;
- Isolating the battery to remove the problem of leaking mercury-zinc batteries.
Ui Octoson Ultrasound Scanner
Making Waves
Ui Octoson Ultrasound Scanner
Making Waves
WHEN? 1976
WHO? Ausonics, CSIRO Ultrasonic Research Centre
WHY? Ultrasound technology has revolutionised pre-natal care, giving expectant parents and doctors a peek at how bub is doing. The technology is also used to diagnose tissue injuries and other medical problems.
WHAT NEXT? The Octoson was the first medical instrument to provide good images of internal organs without exposure to X-rays. In the following decades, newer and smaller ultrasound devices were developed that enabled real-time viewing of what’s going on in the body. It remains an important diagnostic technique to this day.
Bionic Eye
The Eyes Have It
Bionic Eye
The Eyes Have It
WHEN? 2019-
WHO? Dr Ali Almasi, National Vision Research Institute
WHY? “The holy grail is to create a bionic prosthetic vision device that can restore vision to those who are vison impaired … it will create a better quality of life for people,” Almasi said.
WHAT NEXT? A working prototype exists and has given some sense of vision to patients. Next steps include creating an electrode array that allows for very high-resolution stimulation of the retina.