Projects
We’ve considered well over 1,000 ideas for new medical devices since our establishment. We’ve completed over 210 collaborative workshops and 120 R&D projects.
Our clients come from a range of professions: surgeons wanting to improve the lives of patients; researchers needing assistance to get their research out of the labs and into the hands of end-users; industry from startups to established businesses who are diversifying their product line; and the everyday inventor who sees a problem and has an idea to solve it.
Projects have included special glasses that help frequent flyers and shift workers adjust their sleep cycle, a cancer-detecting probe that is improving surgical outcomes and a device to assist orthopedic surgeons when fixing bone fractures.
For people with reduced mobility who spend extended periods seated, pressure injuries aren’t just uncomfortable - they can be painful, life‑altering, and even life‑threatening.
Adelaide innovator Mossa Medical is tackling this challenge through the ARIIA x MDPP Ideas Incubator, coordinated by Aged Care Research & Industry Innovation Australia (ARIIA), with technical support from Flinders University’s Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP).
Together, they’ve developed an Automatic Smart Pressure Cushion prototype that monitors and adjusts pressure in selectively inflatable cells to protect users’ skin, comfort, and independence.
Pressure injuries are a serious and largely preventable issue, impacting 5.5% of people in residential aged care (over 10,500 cases annually) and costing up to AU$98,489 per case to treat. In hospitals, prevalence is 12.9%, with costs estimated at $9.11 billion each year - highlighting an urgent need for effective solutions.
Mossa Medical combines cutting edge technology with a patient-centred approach to create effective, sustainable solutions that prioritise healing, prevention, and overall well-being.
Their smart cushion uses sensors and adaptive air cells to deliver tailored, dynamic pressure relief in real time, reducing damaging pressure points and enabling longer, more comfortable sitting without compromising skin health.
Founder Andrew Mencel said the expert guidance and tailored support they received through the ARIIA x MDPP Ideas Incubator was invaluable.
“ARIIA’s deep understanding of the aged care market and strategic landscape combined with MDPP’s technical expertise in product prototyping have been crucial in positioning us strongly for the next stages of growth.”
ARIIA coordinated the program and provided a detailed market report with industry insights, while MDPP led product prototyping to create a functional proof-of-concept, delivering Mossa Medical both technical validation and market confidence.
Joanne-Lee Tan said ARIIA brings robust sector knowledge, market insight, and strategic guidance that ensure innovations align with real world needs in aged care.
“We offer a comprehensive support system - helping to bridge market opportunities and technical development.”
MDPP Director, Professor Karen Reynolds, said the combination of her team’s technical skills and engineering capabilities with ARIIA’s market insights and real user needs has helped move this product closer to making a real difference for people with mobility issues.
“Collaborative partnerships like this accelerate innovation and help ensure new technologies achieve genuine impact for users and the sector as a whole,” said Professor Reynolds.
With a proven prototype and a clear pathway forward, Mossa Medical is now seeking investment to build a full-scale clinical testing model and advance manufacturing plans.
This innovation holds tremendous promise for the health and aged care sectors - offering a powerful way to reduce largely preventable pressure injuries, enhance comfort, protect mobility, and dramatically improve the quality of life for some of the most vulnerable members of our community.
By transforming how pressure care is managed, this smart cushion could redefine aged care standards and bring greater independence and dignity to those who need it most.
DeflectaCath tipped to redefine urological care.
An Australian clinical surgeon has collaborated with the Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP) at Flinders University to develop a novel catheter for safely navigating the intricate curves and contours of the male urinary tract.
Urological surgeon Associate Professor Ian Middleton developed "DeflectaCath," a silicone catheter equipped with a unique deflection mechanism in its tip, to simplify the insertion procedure for clinicians and improve the health outcomes for patients.
Ventilation management during life-saving resuscitation is being transformed by a local start-up, Abtulus®, who have partnered with the Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP) at Flinders University to develop a novel Bag Valve Mask (BVM) guidance system.
Engineered by Dr Siavash Noor (Ahmadi Noorbakhsh) of Abtulus®, VentiWatch is a practical, simple and reusable ventilation management solution supporting medical professionals and first responders with the delivery of precise and efficient ventilation during resuscitation.
Revolutionising the landscape of healthcare delivery, innovator Hayley Saddington has joined forces with Flinders University's Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP) to build a cost-effective, clinically guided digital software application tailored for supporting in-home rehabilitation.
The co-founder of Peak Medical, Hayley is a visionary in her field who has exploited artificial intelligence to
create an innovative technology which empowers in-home patients to progress their rehabilitation with the confidence of precise clinical guidance.
Replicating the physiotherapy experience, the technology employs an evidence-based clinical approach, directing individuals to customised exercises for continuous improvement between appointments.
Each year, approximately 1.7 million pacemakers are implanted worldwide, with over 30,000 of those in Australia, significantly improving recipients’ health and life expectancy.
A South Australian company, C.tech (Cardiovascular Technology Services Pty Ltd), based at Flinders University, is revolutionizing pacemaker surgeries. The company’s OnePoint Junction Box helps take the guesswork out of surgery, ensuring better outcomes and even extending the pacemaker's lifespan. This device is now sold in 26 countries, contributing to a sales surge, reaching $1 million.
Founded and led by Darius Chapman, C.tech is a bootstrapped medical device company that works with multinational companies and serves an international market. The company’s team is small but dedicated to solving critical problems in cardiac care, especially for patients with electrical heart abnormalities.
Who are you?
Our company has been working on the development of a smart mechanical device to assist with rehabilitation following shoulder surgery. The device was created to allow passive shoulder ROM in the home or clinical setting, by driving the arm along a surface to allow safe mobilisation in the early stages of rehabilitation.
We aim to deliver an advanced solution to improve clinical outcomes following shoulder surgery, with a focus on patient experience, data collection and enhancing the connection between patient and practitioner. We aim to do this using the physical device, which links to a smart application and feeds data back to the practitioner. Our engagement with the Medical Device Partnering Program has been crucial in guiding and supporting us as young practitioners with an idea, through the process of developing that idea into a physical product and looking towards commercialisation of that product.
Designed by a Dental Hygienist to be the ultimate mouldable mouthguard. NeoMorph is a hybrid, combining the best qualities of the professionally made mouthguard with the convenience of a “boil & bite”. No more bulky, ill-fitting guards that dislodge on impact or bond to orthodontic appliances. NeoMorph is a pioneering over-the-counter sports mouthguard delivering a level of protection and custom fit previously unexpected in a reformable mouth guard.
Approximately 76,000 pregnant women and 500,000 babies die from pre-eclampsia across the world every year. Women in developing countries are seven times more likely to suffer from the condition due to delayed diagnosis and a lack of access to hospitals.
Causes of pre-eclampsia are not entirely understood, but if left untreated it can lead to blood clots, organ failure, and death. Rapid, affordable, and accurate diagnostic tools are therefore essential in aiding treatment.
Now, with the help of the Medical Device Partnering Program, a portable diagnostic device being developed by Professor Benjamin Thierry, Dr Duy Tran and a team from the University of South Australia’s Future Industries Institute (UniSA FII) has shown it could pose a solution.
What started as a family injury has turned into a rehabilitation game-changer receiving global attention.
The Prohab Connected Healthcare Device, the brainchild of physiotherapist Lyndon Huf, is an innovative rehabilitation device that accurately measures the force-generating capability of an individual’s muscle, in order to guide and personalise prescription of exercise and rehabilitation programs .
When Scott Blackburn injured himself badly in an accident, breaking both arms and his leg, he was surprised when the Ambulance arrived and treated him with a piece of cardboard.
Thinking there must be a better way, Scott established Fluoro Medical and created their first product, the CAS Splint. He then turned to the Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP) for assistance to develop their new innovation.
The CAS Splint is an innovative, foldable splint for fractured limbs that requires no training to use and does not have to be removed during x-rays.
The MDPP undertook an end-user trial and survey to validate the current design of the splint and made recommendations for design modifications. The MDPP also provided a market intelligence report to Fluoro Medical.
When ResMed, a world-leading connected health company, engaged with the Medical Device Partnering Program in 2010, they wanted to investigate the feasibility of measuring specific signals from the head or face of a patient with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA).
ResMed sought to develop a non-intrusive device to monitor the cardiac health of OSA patients which would enable the monitoring of health so treatment could be administered with greater insight.
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a condition where a person's upper airway becomes blocked during sleep and impacts more than 936 million people worldwide. Not only does OSA impact sleep quality, but patients are at a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease and other heart problems.
The MDPP project resulted in a collaboration between ResMed and Flinders University, with a PhD scholarship funded to further research and development in this area.
When Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr Matthew Liptak started noticing inconsistent outcomes in the rehabilitation of his patients after total knee replacement, he decided to take things into his own hands.
He identified a gap in the market for a simple and effective device to encourage, motivate and monitor the rehabilitation of his patients post-surgery.
Dr Liptak first approached the MDPP in 2013 for assistance with the development of Maxm Skate, a skate-like device which straps to a patient’s foot. Whilst he had an initial prototype of the skate, he needed R&D assistance to develop a sensor which would record the user’s range of movement.
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