University of Melbourne - The Parkville Research Precinct

The sheer quantity of life sciences research facilities, institutes, researchers, fellows and postgraduate students in the Parkville precinct and surrounds, and the comprehensive breadth of bio-science disciplines, is without parallel in the Southern hemisphere and one of the few such concentrations of research excellence worldwide. The Precinct created and commercialised numerous medical innovations, including the Bionic Ear, colony stimulating factors, Relenza®, Recaldent®, retinal imaging, discovery of Rotavirus, vaccines, diagnostics, microsurgical instruments and antibiotics.

Source: http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/view.php?articleID=5917

Restoring Sight With Stem Cells Grown on Contact Lenses?

Three patients with severe damage to the corneas of their eyes have achieved dramatic improvements in their vision thanks to contact lenses coated with their own stem cells.

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TriCorder Device

In partnership with the Technical Support Working Group (TSWG), Boeing and Washington University's School of Medicine in St. Louis, S&T's Tech Solutions group is developing the Standoff Patient Triage Tool (SPTT), a device that classic Star Trek fans will recognize for its resemblance to the medical diagnostic tool known as the tricorder. The device can check body temperature, heart rate and respiration of victims up to 40 feet away.

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Surgical Robot

After making a small incision, the robot compensates for the natural shake and movement of the organ caused by heartbeats so that surgery can proceed as if the organ is still. That little trick could enable minimally invasive, endoscopic heart surgeries in the future.

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Waseda University

Reversing Muscular Dystrophy In Dogs

A genetic technique successfully treats Duchenne muscular dystrophy in dogs. The researchers used a novel technique called exon skipping to restore partial function to the gene involved in Duchenne. The study, published in Annals of Neurology, gives hope that a similar approach could work in humans.

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Carbohydrate-Based Medicine

Scientists from Germany today reported a major advance toward opening the doors of a carbohydrate-based medicine chest for the 21st Century. Much more than just potatoes and pasta, these carbohydrates may form the basis of revolutionary new vaccines and drugs to battle malaria, HIV, and a bevy of other diseases. Peter H. Seeberger, Ph.D., described development of an automated carbohydrate synthesizer, a device that builds these intricate molecules in a few hours — rather than the months or years required with existing technology.

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Mussel "glue" and inkjet printers may allow for faster healing from surgeries

Researchers at North Carolina State University found a way to use the mussel glue along with a variation on the inkjet printer to make medical adhesives.

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HIV evolving at warp speed

HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is one of the fastest evolving entities known. That's why no one has yet been able to come up with a vaccine: The virus mutates so rapidly that what works today in one person may not work tomorrow or in others.

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The Toumaz Sensium™

Sensium enables the development of a new generation of non-intrusive body-worn wireless devices that can continuously monitor multiple vital signs in real-time, and feed back high-quality information to health professionals via PCs, PDAs and cell phones.

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Electroporation

An electroporation device that it claims can kill cancerous tumor cells with remarkable specificity while inflicting little or no damage on surrounding structures and causing no pain for the patient.

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AngioDynamics

Unmanned Flying Ambulance

A remote-controlled 'flying stretcher' that can rescue accident victims and bring them to hospital is being developed by Israeli scientists. A prototype has already undergone successful testing and a final version is expected to be available within the next year.

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