In epilepsy, disruption in the brain’s normal rhythmic patterns of activity leads to a state of heightened excitability, resulting in a seizure: these can vary from brief ‘absences’ or strange sensations to convulsions and loss of consciousness. Diagnosis can be difficult in some people, while others have problems managing their seizures effectively with drug treatments.

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that affects approximately two percent of the population: in Australia, this equates to nearly half a million people.

Improving epilepsy diagnosis and patient management

A definite diagnosis of epilepsy is usually achieved by observing the electrical activity of the brain and this is routinely done by electroencephalography (EEG). However, diagnosis is not always a straightforward process, especially if suspected epileptic events are infrequent. Conventional EEG recordings are not practical for more than a day, and repeated visits to a hospital day clinic are very expensive and may not capture an event. Both patients and clinicians alike need a way of measuring brain activity over longer periods of time. Long-term brain monitoring would also address another major problem faced by clinicians – the sometimes difficult management of drug therapies to effectively relieve seizures.

Patients with undiagnosed seizures and experiencing difficulties in drug therapy face ongoing stress, risks, and uncertainty when carrying out their normal daily activities.

To address this clinical need, the Bionics Institute has pioneered a small bionic device, implanted under the scalp, to monitor the brain’s electrical activity over extended periods of time. Our prototype device is able to detect and record seizure activity safely and effectively. We have designed an implant that requires minimal surgery and risk, in much the same way as implantable monitors are currently used to diagnose heart abnormalities. We have developed the hardware and software required to record brain activity, determined the best location to implant the electrode, and tested that it is stable over time.

We have also designed and created prototypes of the specialised instruments required for surgery. From the earliest stages of this research program, our scientists and engineers have worked closely with clinical colleagues at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne. This close collaboration ensures the device we have produced suits the needs of both patients and their doctors.

In 2018, the Bionics Institute launched a new Australian start-up company – Epi-Minder Pty Ltd – to accelerate the commercial development of this device and ensure that it becomes available to patients and their doctors as soon as possible. A key part of this research translation pathway is raising more funds for a clinical trial and the ongoing development of advanced features, such as a ‘call home’ function to alert carers of a seizure event.

To transform an idea into a medical device that will change people’s lives takes years of research and development. The creation of our device is now at the stage often referred to as ‘the valley of death’ – a stage where excellent and urgently needed medical devices can falter through lack of funds and investment. Our donors and those interested in investing in novel Australian medical technologies play a vital role in transforming our projects into clinical reality.

The Bionics Institute is a not-for-profit, independent medical research institute working in the field of medical bionics – an exciting area of science where biology, engineering, and medicine intersect.

Our historyLed by Professor Graeme Clark AC, bionic ear research began in the late 1960s at the University of Melbourne and the first patient was implanted with this pioneering device in 1978. The (then) Bionic Ear Institute was established in 1984 by Professor Clark to ensure that research and development of this life-changing medical device continued. The success of the bionic ear (cochlear implant), and the subsequent establishment of Cochlear Ltd, is one of Australia’s great medical research success stories: today, cochlear implants provide the gift of hearing to over 400,000 hearing-impaired people globally.

The Bionics Institute today

…to research, innovate and deliver technologies that improve human health…

Many decades later, the Institute continues to pioneer new technologies to address otherwise untreatable, poorly treated or drug-resistant conditions of the nervous system. Using a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach, the Institute’s research programs continue to diversify, and build on our experience and technological expertise in cochlear implants.

We bring together researchers from a wide range of disciplines and collaborate with eminent clinicians from Melbourne’s major hospitals to ensure that our work results in tangible clinical outcomes.

In 2011, we changed our name to the Bionics Institute to reflect fully the breadth of our research interests and clinical applications. Today, our work encompasses the development of technologies and therapies to address deafness, blindness, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Get in touch384-388 Albert Street East Melbourne, VIC 3002 T +61 3 9667 7500 W bionicsinstitute.org

Supporting our researchThere are many ways you could help us deliver improved health and quality of life to those living with chronic and disabling conditions. If you are interested in supporting our research – either a specific project or a general donation – please contact our reception on (03) 9667 7500 or email enquiries@bionicsinstitute.org. The Bionics Institute is endorsed as a deductible gift recipient (DGR). All donations over $2 are tax deductible.