Bionics Institute

The Bionics Institute is an Australian medical research institute focusing on medical device development. It is located in Melbourne, Australia.

The Bionics Institute
The Bionics Institute logo
MottoInnovation for Life
Founder(s)Professor Graeme Clark
Established1986 (1986)
MissionMedical translational research
FocusMedical bionics
ChairJohn Stanhope AM
CEORobert Klupacs
Faculty
Adjunct faculty
  • Centre for Eye Research Australia
  • National ICT Australia
  • CSIRO
  • ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science
  • Bionic Vision Australia
  • HEARing CRC
Staffapprox. 100
BudgetA$10.8 million (2019)
Formerly calledBionic Ear Institute
Location
384-388 Albert Street
,
East Melbourne
,
Victoria
,
Australia
Coordinates37°48′34″S 144°58′41″E
Websitebionicsinstitute.org

History

The Bionics Institute was founded in 1986 by Professor Graeme Clark AC. Professor Clark is widely recognised for his role in the development of the cochlear implant,[1][2] a device that can restore hearing to deaf individuals. From 2005 to 2017, the Bionics Institute was under the leadership of Professor Rob Shepherd AM. During his tenure, the Institute's research focus expanded to include a variety of clinical areas, such as neurological conditions, blindness, and inflammatory bowel disease.

In 2017, Robert Klupacs was appointed as the Institute's CEO.[3][4][5] Under his leadership, the scope of the Institute's research was broadened to encompass auto-immune, chronic, brain, hearing, and vision disorders.[6] Additionally, Klupacs emphasised the importance of commercialising the Institute's research, facilitating the creation of several spin-off companies.[7]

The Institute's primary mission is to advance medical technologies through research and the development of medical devices, to transform the lives of individuals with disabilities and solve medical challenges.[8]

Location

The Bionics Institute has two campuses, one located in East Melbourne and the other in nearby Fitzroy. Mollison House (East Melbourne) is the site of the institute's administrative team as well as the bulk of its human research. The second campus exists in the Daly Wing of St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne which houses the institute's wet labs and device fabrication facilities.[9]

Research

The Bionics Institute's research is focusses their research into three areas of study: auto-immune and chronic conditions;[10][11] brain conditions;[12] hearing impairment and vision loss.[13]

Auto-immune and chronic conditions

The application of electricity for the purpose of modifying nerve function has emerged as a fundamental method for treating various auto-immune and chronic ailments that have limited responsiveness to traditional pharmaceutical treatments. Such conditions include Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis,[10] type 2 diabetes[14] and incontinence.

Brain conditions

Various devices have been developed with the purpose of enhancing outcomes for individuals with neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and stroke.[14] Additionally, the Institute develops neural prosthetics, which aims to improve bodily functions and brain fuction through the use of implanted devices.[15][16]

Hearing impairment and vision loss

Hearing impairment research at the Bionics Institute is a field of study dedicated to addressing various forms of hearing loss and developing solutions to improve auditory function. The Institute focuses on advancing medical technology and addressing the needs of individuals with hearing impairments. One key area of research at the Bionics Institute is the development of a medical device geared towards optimising language development in hearing-impaired infants.[17] According to one 2006 study, the device aims to provide necessary autitory stimulation for language acquisition has resulted in improved speech and language skills.[18] Another area of study involves the use of light to enhance the selectivity of auditory nerve stimulation, particularly in the context of cochlear implants[19] and other neural stimulation devices;[20][21] Additionally, the Institute has developed objective tests for tinnitus.[22][23]

Funding

The Bionics Institute is funded through a combination of government funding, private donations, and contract research.[24] In 2019, the institute's annual expenditure was $10.8 million. In 2019, 26.5% income was from Government Grants and 18.6% income was from donations and bequests.

Commercialistion

Professor Graeme Clark, the founder of the Bionics Institute, played a prominent role in the development of Australia's cochlear implant,[25][26] which was later commercialised by Cochlear Pty Ltd.[27]

Building upon this success, the Bionics Institute has also produced several spin-off companies including Epi-Minder, which focuses on the commercialisation of an epilepsy seizure monitoring device;[28][29][30][31] DBS Tech which specialised in adaptive deep brain stimulation systems for Parkinson's disease;[32][33] and Neo-Bionica (launched 2021),[34] a company dedicated to the design and manufacturing of specialised medical devices and implants for human clinical trials.[35][36][37]

Collaborations

The University of Melbourne, Medical Bionics Department

In July 2012, the School of Medicine and Dentisty at the of University of Melbourne established the Medical Bionics Department[38] in collaboration with the Bionics Institute.

The Medical Bionics department launched its inaugral PhD program in 2013. Professor James Fallon serves as the head of the Medical Bionics Department at the University of Melbourne.[39]

See also

References
  1. "Professor Graeme M. Clark AC". NAE Website. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  2. "Professor Graeme Clark AC". Australian of the Year. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  3. "Mr Robert Klupacs, Chief Executive Officer - Bionics Institute". www.bionicsinstitute.org. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  4. "Robert Klupacs, CEO Bionics Institute". rotaryclubofmelbourne.org.au. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  5. "Robert Klupacs, CEO, Bionics Institute". InnovationAus.com. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  6. "Scholarship for life sciences students promotes innovation". www.labonline.com.au. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  7. Hendry, Justin (29 May 2023). "Biotech success starts with a precinct approach". InnovationAus.com. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  8. "About Us - Bionics Institute". www.bionicsinstitute.org. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  9. "Contact us". Bionics Institute. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  10. "Melbourne invention 'size of a thumbnail' could treat rheumatoid arthritis". ABC listen. 8 November 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  11. "Autoimmune and Chronic Condition Research - Bionics Institute". www.bionicsinstitute.org. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  12. "Brain Research - Bionics Institute". www.bionicsinstitute.org. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  13. "Hearing and Vision Research - Bionics Institute". www.bionicsinstitute.org. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  14. Dodd, Tim (8 November 2022). "Medical technology and medical devices rely on advanced research". The Australian. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  15. Deutsch, Sophie (19 July 2023). "New bionic limb uses AI to decode motor commands". Create. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  16. Post, Hippocratic (15 July 2023). "New bionic limb research redefining possibilities". The Hippocratic Post. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  17. "In the news". Australian Women's Weekly: 14–17. November 2017.
  18. Nowak, Rachel (25 November 2006). "Ear implant success sparks culture war". New Scientist. 192 (2579): 16–17. doi:10.1016/S0262-4079(06)61175-5.
  19. "Cochlear implants prevent 'scrambling' in deaf brains". New Scientist. 200 (2688): 13. 3 January 2009.
  20. "How to regrow lost hearing". New Scientist. 183 (2465): 13. 18 September 2004.
  21. "10.1063/1.4831988.4". Default Digital Object Group. 15 November 2013. doi:10.1063/1.4831988.4. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  22. Lu, Donna (28 November 2020). "AI can tell if you have tinnitus". New Scientist. 248 (3310): 20.
  23. SCIMEX (4 May 2022). "Tinnitus test paves the way to new treatments". Scimex. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  24. Bionics Institute. Annual Report 2018-2019 (PDF). Bionics Institute.
  25. "Clark, Graeme M - Faculty of Medicine Online Museum and Archive". www.sydney.edu.au. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  26. Fraser, Thomas (1 May 2023). "Bionic ear pioneer Professor Graeme Clark honoured by Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland". Newsroom. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  27. Clark, Graeme M; Clark, Jonathan; Cardamone, Tina; Clarke, Maria; Nielsen, Prue; Jones, Rob; Arhatari, Benedicta; Birbilis, Nick; Curtain, Roger; Xu, Jin; Wagstaff, Sheryl; Gibson, Peter; O'Leary, Stephen; Furness, John (September 2014). "Biomedical studies on temporal bones of the first multi-channel cochlear implant patient at the University of Melbourne". Cochlear Implants International. 15 (Suppl 2): S1–S15. doi:10.1179/1754762814Y.0000000087. ISSN 1754-7628. PMID 24915284. S2CID 25115227.
  28. "Predicting seizures in epilepsy". Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  29. Ahveninen, Anna (16 March 2023). "Epi-Minder and the University of Melbourne". Research. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  30. Holland, Daryl (25 July 2023). "Case study: Monitoring epileptic seizures | Melbourne Research". Research. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  31. "Epiminder Project". ACMD. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  32. "Deep Brain Stimulation Technologies - Bionics Institute". www.bionicsinstitute.org. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  33. "Deep Brain Stimulation Technologies Pty Ltd : MTPConnect". www.mtpconnect.org.au. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  34. "MarketLine Company Profile: The University of Melbourne". University of Melbourne MarketLine Company Profile: 1–22. 29 September 2023.
  35. Melbourne, St Vincent’s Hospital. "St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne". www.svhm.org.au. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  36. Smith, Katherine (23 May 2023). "Neo-Bionica to make prototype implantable medical devices". Research. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  37. Kevey, Donna (23 February 2022). "New manufacturing facility takes Victorian bioengineering expertise to the world". Newsroom. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  38. Udani, Bhavi (29 April 2020). "Medical Bionics Department". Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  39. "Professor James Fallon, CTO and Head of Research Operations - Bionics Institute". www.bionicsinstitute.org. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
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