The federal government has announced $18.8 million to support the discovery of better treatments for conditions using medical devices such as wearable, telehealth and telemedicine, as well as digitally-enabled personalised medicine.
The funding is being delivered through the federal government's government’s $45 million BioMedTech Horizons program. The program is part of the Medical Research Future Fund.
Round three of the program will fund 21 projects focussed on the development of devices that support the treatment of cancer, epilepsy, stroke, paralysis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, brain injuries, back pain and chronic middle ear disease.
Perth-based OncoRes Medical will receive $1 million for the further development of its compact wireless technology for improved accuracy during breast-conserving surgery.
Victoria-based Seer will also receive $1 million for its real-time seizure forecasting system through mobile and wearable monitoring.
Atmo Biosciences, a digital health company that provides real-time insights into gut health and microbiome function, has been awarded $620,000.
The company's platform is underpinned by the Atmo Gas Capsule. It is an ingestible gas-sensing capsule that senses gaseous biomarkers produced by the microbiome in the gastrointestinal system. This data is wirelessly transmitted to the cloud for aggregation and analysis.
"This project has great potential to save lives and improve lives of people with epilepsy and their families," said health minister Greg Hunt.
Other projects include a 3D bioprinting system for regenerating skin and developing a smart brain biopsy needle for faster, safer neurosurgery.
The BioMedTech Horizons is delivered by MTPConnect - the federal government-funded growth centre for the medical technologies