Professor Anthony Maeder Australia’s first Chair in Digital Health Systems said, “South Australia will become a world leader in healthcare innovation by spearheading Flinders University’s research into a mind boggling array of smart and interactive technologies.”
He plans on taking machine learning concepts developed at the Telehealth Research and Innovation Lab (THRIL) at the University of Western Sydney www.westernsydney.edu.au to the next level at Flinders University https://www.flinders.edu.au. He is going to use advanced devices to monitor the health of the aged at home with the use of interactive assistive systems including avatars and chat bots.
In another move forward, Australia’s Flinders University’s Medical Device Research Institute and China’s Shandong Academy of Sciences http://english.sdas.org in their Computer Science Center, have signed an agreement to establish the Joint International Laboratory for Health Technologies.
The joint laboratory should increase commercial opportunities for South Australian researchers by creating a collaborative platform to develop leading-edge medical technology possibilities but will also focus on developing and globalizing medical equipment and digital health technology.
The joint research over the next three years will include developing flexible wearable electronic systems to monitor multiple physiological functions including respiration, pulse, electrocardiograms, and blood oxygen. The plans are to also include developing intelligent digital medical devices to integrate biological sensing, optical monitoring, cloud computing, and wireless technologies.
Flinders University has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Nanyang Technological University http://www.ntu.edu.sgg in Singapore to create the Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP). The MDPP Partnership 2025 aims to build additional research and development program between Singapore and Australia, by commercializing the reach among agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector.
Through the partnership the South Australian MDPP will expand its scope of research expertise and their network of partners within the Asia Pacific region, while Singapore’ medical device industry will benefit from a proven model for early concept development and evaluation.