Kathy Kruger | Gold Coast Health & Knowledge Precinct

Filed Under: HEALTH, TECHNOLOGY Tagged With: 3d printing, ADaPT, Dr Hal Rice, Dr Sam Canning, Neuroendovascular, Neurovascular, Stryker

High-tech training centre opportunity in life-saving procedures

In the most delicate and exacting of procedures, world-leading Interventional Neuroradiologist Dr Hal Rice routinely saves lives at the Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH) – and now with ground-breaking help from 3D printing experts in the Precinct is set to train specialists from around the world.

Dr Rice, together with colleague Dr Laeticia de Villiers, extracts blood clots from inside blocked blood vessels in stroke patients and repairs fragile brain aneurysms that have ruptured or are at high risk of rupturing with catastrophic brain haemorrhage.

The specialist in minimally-invasive endovascular neurosurgical procedures navigates a series of tiny plastic tubes from the femoral artery in the patient’s groin or radial artery in the wrist up into brain blood vessels measuring only two to three millimetres wide, to gently remove blood clots or reconstruct swollen and ruptured blood vessels using innovative devices such as ultra-fine platinum coils and vascular stents, without the need to cut through the skull.

Many of the devices are made by leading global medical company Stryker, with Dr Rice’s world-class standing attracting Stryker’s President of Neurovascular Mark Paul and company executives from the region to visit the Precinct, with a view to using it as their Asia-Pacific base for specialised training.

3D printed models take planning and training to new levels of precision

Working with advanced imaging and the specialist digital design skills of Griffith University ADaPT (Advanced Design and Prototyping Technology) experts, they’re 3D printing exact replicas of an individual patient’s aneurysm in situ within the blood vessel so they can better plan life-saving surgeries and train other specialists in this precision specialised medicine.

Conventional training has relied on animal models – the high-tech approach blending virtual simulation with replica printed models will be world-first.

‘The 3D printed models help us to very realistically simulate these complex lifesaving procedures, bringing to life what we see on screen in the operating theatre during an actual treatment,’ says Dr Rice.

‘With a large inventory of precisely printed 3D models we can now rehearse treatment plans and also train specialists in the latest technologies, while using the models to rigorously evaluate new and future products before commencing clinical trials. The models can even be fitted with special pumps to realistically mimic normal pulsating blood flow.’

For Dr Sam Canning, Convenor of Digital and 3D Design at Griffith University, the project tests the limits of design and prototyping technologies.

‘With a project of this complexity we are breaking new ground. We’ve conducted exhaustive tests of combinations of imaging technologies, 3D modelling/imaging software and extensive exploration of 3D printing technologies,”Dr Canning says.

I think it is safe to say that it is recent advances in imaging, software and hardware that have made this entire project possible. Most of this technology (in its current form) did not exist only eighteen months ago.”

Filed Under: PROJECTS, TECHNOLOGY

Beyond spinal cord injury – research brings hope on World SCI day

On World Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Awareness Day, the Precinct’s BIOSPINE project, led by Griffith University biomechanical engineer Professor David Lloyd, is close to finalising a large research contract that is set to position the GCHKP as a global leader in spinal injury rehabilitation.

With industry and philanthropic support already locked in, a team of 15 researchers primarily from Griffith and including collaborators from Harvard and the University of Sydney are set to take promising research, founded on their novel digital twin platform technology – ‘Personalised Digital Human’, to the next exciting step towards a spinal injury cure.

The flagship project is just one being pursued by Professor’s Lloyd’s team within an international group of more than 90 collaborators developing next-generation intelligent approaches to training, treatment, surgery planning and rehabilitation, addressing neuromusculoskeletal (neurological and orthopaedic) and vascular (cardio and neuro vascular) conditions.

Meanwhile a 30-strong team in the Precinct’s Clem Jones Centre for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research, also at Griffith University, is refining research that has already been successful in regrowing spinal nerve tissue in some animal models.

Novel approach to neurorehabilitation

The BIOSPINE project has the support of a Perpetual IMPACT funding grant of $138,000, and researchers will work with US-based Restorative Therapies (Maryland), the industry leader in integrated functional electrical stimulation (iFES), and Making Strides, a Gold Coast-based leading Australian rehabilitation provider for SCI patients.

Restorative Therapies has successfully worked with more than 100,000 SCI, Stroke, MS, Cerebral Palsy and Traumatic Brain Injury patients in 1,000 clinics and 4,000 homes over the past 15 years and will supply equipment and software to BIOSPINE – an FES stimulator and RT300 iFES Leg Neurological Rehabilitation system.

Making Strides will translate the research through patient therapy.

Professor Ted Teng, of Harvard University School of Medicine and leading US facility Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, will provide pharmaceutical pairing for neurorestoration to enhance the effects of the intelligent physical therapy.

It’s hoped Professor Lloyd’s project can also integrate with the biologics work of Associate Professor James St John’s team on the Spinal Injury Project for a complete approach to SCI recovery.

Biologics hold out hope of cure

The Spinal Injury Project is a group of scientists, engineers, medical doctors, veterinarians and educators at Griffith University all working together to develop a cell transplantation therapy to treat traumatic spinal cord injuries.

The therapy involves the transplantation of Olfactory Ensheathing Cells (OECs) – a specialised type of cell from the nose, into the spinal cord to help the guidance and regrowth of nerve cells across the injury site.

Recent progress has demonstrated that transplanting a nerve bridge made of the OECs results in the nerve cells growing across the injury site in animal models. The therapy works in some animals, but not all, and work is ongoing to improve the therapy so that a wider range of injuries can be treated more consistently and it can proceed to clinical trials.

Filed Under: People of the Precinct

Farewell Di Dixon

After years championing the vision for a health and knowledge precinct whilst working for City of Gold Coast and then working on bringing the vision to life through establishing a unique partnership, Di Dixon took on the role of inaugural Project Director for the GCHKP in 2015.

Four years later, Di departs the Gold Coast for Adelaide, optimistic about the future potential of the Precinct and its long-term benefits for the Gold Coast, Queensland and Australia.

We asked Di for her insights into the Precinct’s future.

Developing a Precinct like the GCHKP is a long term project – looking back what do you see as the biggest achievements and looking forward what are the biggest opportunities?

The precinct’s journey has already spanned nearly 2 decades demonstrating the commitment from the city with a focus on driving innovation, creating knowledge based jobs while retaining and attracting global talent to create a precinct that will take the Gold Coast to a new level of international recognition, economic sustainability and employment opportunities.

Such long term vision is key and strong leadership is required to maintain momentum.

Our key achievements have been leveraging the 2018 Commonwealth Games through a global investment mission program and leveraging opportunities to raise recognition and credibility of the amazing talent and clinical and research activity already taking place here. Also to have brought several global companies and investors to the table to start negotiations on land development and research collaborations have been key – going forward the opportunity is to continue to leverage our people – without the global talent we have here we would not be able to have investment opportunity doors opened to us and credible partners to make the precinct an attractive place to establish and grow.

How important is a partnership approach with a shared vision when you are managing a major project over the long-term?

A partnership approach is critical and the strong collaboration of the GCHKP has been the envy of many precincts I have visited globally – the establishment of a dedicated GCHKP Project Office over 4 years ago focused the required collaboration to drive the successful realisation of the GCHKP and its vision.

To lead the priorities of different organisations while achieving the broader precinct vision can be a challenge but by having a strong formal commitment to the vision the project is able to stay on track and continue to leverage each areas expertise.

With Lord Marland of Odstock, Chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, and Raymond Huang and Tan See Leng from Commonwealth Alliance of Youth Entrepreneurs (CAYE).

What will be the major challenge to meet over the coming few years?

The challenge will be to maintain our global credibility to drive investment interest – this is increasing but there are so many competing locations around the world the only way to succeed is to stay true to the targeted end users we know will benefit from being co-located here on the Gold Coast – this must be based on our specific international clinical and research strengths and the facilitation of cross disciplinary opportunities which is where the creative innovation and solution driven outcomes will emerge to set us apart from competing locations.