Australian inventors have contributed to the health and well being of millions of people around the world.
The latest invention and 2011 winner of the prestigious Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Excellence in Research has been awarded for the development of the Nanopatch - a stamp sized vaccination that delivers a needle free vaccine. The Nanopatch was developed by a team led by Professor Mark Kendall from the Australian Institute for Bio engineering and Nanotechnology at the University of Queensland.
Other Australian medical advances include:
The development of the first pacemaker in 1926 when Dr. Mark Lidwell and physicist Edgar Booth devised a portable apparatus that was used to revive a still born infant at the Crown Street Women's Hospital
Howeard Florey, a scientist from Adelaide who, in the 1940's developed a way for penicillin, the world's first antibiotic to be manufactured and processed so it could be used to treat infections in humans.
In 1960 the world's first plastic spectacle lenses, 60 per cent lighter than glass, were designed by Scientific Optical Laboratories in Adelaide.
In 1961, the development of the ultrasound enabled unborn babies to be monitored without the need of surgery.
A snake anti venom capable of acting against the poison from many Australian snakes was developed by CSIRO in 1968.
In 1970 Professor Earl Owen from Sydney pioneered microsurgery techniques by performing the first microsurgery operation when he rejoined an amputated index finger.
In 1973 the world's first pregnancy using IVF technology was reported from Monash medical Centre.
Cochlear Implants (bionic ear) were invented by Dr. Graeme Clarke in 1979. Thousands of children in Australian and New Zealand now have implants and people around the world have benefited from the device.
In 1984 the first frozen in-vitro fertilization baby was born in Melbourne Australian using a technique developed by Dr. Alan Trounson and Dr. Linda Mohr.
In 1985 Broncostat, an oral vaccine, was developed by Professor Robert Clancy at the University of Newcastle. Broncostat reduces attacks of acute bronchitis.
CPAP mask - Professor Colin Sullivan of Sydney University developed the continuous positive Airflow pressure mask which became the most common treatment for sleep disordered breathing.
The world's first multi-focal contact lens was invented by optical research scientist Stephen Newman in Queensland in 1992.
In 1998 Polartechnics, the Sydney Melanoma Unit and CSIRO developed the Solarscan, a device to scan the skin and quickly assess sunspots to determine if they are melanomas.
Spray on skin was developed by Dr. Fiona Wood at the Royal Perth Hospital in 1999.
In 2006 Professor Ian Frazer discovered how to create a vaccination for cervical cancer. The commercial application Gardasil is a vaccine to prevent certain types of human papillomavirus.
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