December 2013

Flinders road-tests new anti-snore pillow

Sleep researchers from Flinders University and the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health are road-testing a new pillow that could help alleviate snoring for back sleepers.

Made by Adelaide-based pillow manufacturer TVS Foam Products, the TVS Snore No More Pillow is specially designed to reduce the volume and frequency of snoring for chronic snorers who primarily sleep on their backs.

To view the full story, click here.

To view the Nine Networks TV coverage, click here.

Past event - Global problems, local solutions, global markets

Together with AusBiotech, the MDPP held a free networking breakfast on Thursday 3rd October 2013, featuring guest speaker, Lusia Guthrie. Lusia is CEO & Managing Director of LBT Innovations Ltd. 

LBT innovations is a local medical technologies company specialising in the automation of routine microbiology processing. The free event provided an opportunity for attendees to find out how LBT have successfully developed solutions to address global problems.

To view the program for the event, click here.

MDPP to deliver new Medical Technologies Program

Formally announced this morning (15 August 2013) in a release by Minister Tom Kenyon's office (Minister for Manufacturing, Innovation and Trade), the Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP) has received funding for the next three years from the Department for Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade, Resources and Energy (DMITRE) to facilitate the delivery of the Manufacturing Works, Medical Technologies Program.

South Australia's medical technology sector are set to benefit from the $750,000 funding commitment, aimed to support the development of new, high-tech medical devices.

To read the full media release, click here.

Under the Medical Technologies Program, companies, commercial enterprises or an individual who agrees to form such an entity, with a current or proposed connection in South Australia, can benefit from R&D assistance through the MDPP. With access to all three publicly-funded South Australian Universities, the MDPP can offer multi-disciplinary research expertise and state-of-the-art facilities for product development and testing.

Medical Device Research PhD Postgraduate Scholarship

The Medical Device Research Institute (MDRI) at Flinders University are pleased to call for applications to a PhD in Engineering (Research) postgraduate scholarship for a maximum period of three years with an annual tax free stipend of AUD$28,715.

The PhD project is part of a collaborative research project between Flinders University and ResMed, a leading developer, manufacturer and distributor of medical equipment for treating, diagnosing, and managing sleep-disordered breathing and other respiratory disorders.

Applications close on 31 October 2013.

Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

Flinders Engineers Enable Independent Living

South Australia's ageing population and people with disabilities are one step closer to living with greater independence thanks to the work of electronic engineers from Flinders University.

Officially launched on Tuesday (August 13), the Retrofitted Electronic Aids project demonstrates that a range of readily available electronic and electro-mechanical products can be fitted to an existing house or dwelling for less than $10,000.

This demonstration project - undertaken by the Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP) at Flinders University - has shown that off-the-shelf products such as universal remote controls, intercoms and voice recognition technology can be easily controlled by a person living with a disability, providing greater quality of life and independence.

For the full story, click here.

To view the ABC TV news coverage, click here.

Past Event - From Rags to Riches - the winding corridor to success

A MDPP Networking breakfast was held on 27th June 2013, showcasing StaminaLift International Ltd. who are a great example of how an idea combined with determination and stubbornness can result in world-wide sales and success. Peter March and Ken Bell from StaminaLift, a manufacturer of patient transfer systems for injury reduction in hospitals, explained how they have moved from humble beginnings to be the world-leader in hospital bed movers.

With assistance from the MDPP to independently validate the effectiveness of their powered bed mover, StaminaLift spread nationally from Adelaide and have now taken on the world, with sales in the UK, Europe, Middle East and Canada.

View the MDPP Networking Breakfast_From Rags to Riches (PDF 460KB) flyer for more information.

May 2013

MDPP help build high-tech assistive housing

Flinders University this week joined in the launch of a new high-tech housing development that will enable people with disabilities to live independently in the community.

As part of the State Government's Woodville West Urban Renewal Project, eight 'smart living' apartments featuring cutting-edge assistive technologies have been purpose-built for people with disabilities, based on expert advice from Flinders engineers.

The University's Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP) has provided design advice and technical specifications to the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion to ensure the building is equipped with remote support and in-home monitoring for people who would otherwise need 24-hour onsite care.

To read the full release, click here.

Image: Photograph courtesy of the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

March 2013

Tablets making technology easier to swallow

Accessing the internet is becoming easier for the ageing community, with the introduction of tablet technologies such as Apple's iPad.

Flinders University's Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP) has been funded by the Office for the Ageing, SA Health, to make tablet technology more accessible to the ageing community.

In partnership with Seniors Information Service (SIS) the MDPP has developed and provided educational sessions to equip SIS staff and volunteers to provide information and teach seniors skills in tablet usage and internet services.

To read the full article, click here.

MDPP video

Learn more about the MDPP and hear one example of how we have assisted local company NVT Systems Pty Ltd to develop a new product for their portfolio. Click here to watch the video. 

SA's Partnering Program drives innovation through collaboration 

Professor Karen Reynolds was invited to contribute to the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) Focus Magazine (February 2013) on the Assistive Technology healthcare network.  In this article, Karen provides a summary of the medical device industry and the MDPP model, outlining some of the outcomes and lessons learnt over the four years that the MDPP has been running. 

To read the article, refer to the ATSE publication.