The Australian Government's Innovation Report

The diagnostic tool uses a unique application of optical fibre to produce a catheter barely three millimetres in
diameter. The catheter contains a series of optical-fibre pressure sensors, which use some smart physics and modern
telecommunications technology to measure the waves of pressure when the patient swallows. This creates a
detailed representation of the pressure wave travelling down the oesophagus.
Although the technology is no stranger to the telecommunications world – it forms the basis for nearly every
modern telecommunications system in use today – its use in the medical world is novel. The low manufacturing
costs of the fibre optic catheter will allow it to be a disposable item, which reduces the risk of cross-contamination
and makes the diagnostic process more widely available.
Preventative health care
Building better health for Indigenous prisoners: The Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service
and AIATSIS health team sees the opportunity of a new jail in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) as a chance
to develop a best practice holistic model of health care delivery to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander inmates.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in custody and their families are exposed to health risks additional
to those endured by other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The ACT does not currently have its own prison and people convicted in the territory are sent to prisons elsewhere.
But a decision by the territory’s government to build a prison has prompted Winnunga to begin this research
project in collaboration with AIATSIS.
Winnunga currently provides a health service to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander inmates of the Goulburn
and Cooma jails, which are both in New South Wales, as well as the Belconnen Remand Centre and Quamby
Youth Detention Centre, which are in the ACT.
This research project’s holistic model of health care will incorporate the health and well-being of inmates,
their families, and the workers providing the health care.
SunSmart UV alerts: Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world. The SunSmart UV alert
service, which contributes to the priority goal of Preventive Healthcare, encourages awareness of the health risks
from exposure to ultraviolet radiation, and gives people a measure to decide if protective action is warranted.
The alert, based on the Global Solar UV Index from the World Health Organization, was developed by the
Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre (BMRC), in partnership with the Cancer Council of Australia and
the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency.
Sunsmart UV alert.Photo credits: BoM
A SunSmart UV alert is issued by the bureau when the UV Index reaches 3,
together with the times that the index stays at that level or above throughout
the day. At this level, UV radiation can damage skin and lead to skin cancer. The
alerts, available for many Australian cities and towns, are reported in newspapers,
some television and radio forecasts and are available in the forecasts issued
on the bureau website.
Molecular structure of foods: Understanding the structure of ingredients that go into food and aspects of
food safety will provide Australian scientists with the ability to design new foods with improved taste, texture
and health-improving qualities.
A new research collaboration between ANSTO and CSIRO is seeking to determine the molecular structure
and function of foods we eat.
ANSTO will use advanced neutron scattering techniques to examine complex food structures, and determine
how these are altered by food processing, and how such modifications affect nutrition and long-term health.
Understanding the physical and biochemical properties will enable food researchers and manufacturers to
model, predict and control the behaviour of raw materials and ingredients. This knowledge will assist in
developing foods with specific health benefits.
104 Backing Australia’s Ability