Research projects benefit from Western Innovation Fund

 

The awards, launched in 2004 and distributed annually by the Office of the Vice-President (Research & International Relations), provide incentive for researchers to explore commercial opportunities outside the lab.

 

More than $135,000 in funding will be shared by the following winning projects:

Name: M. Hesham El Naggar
Award: $30,000
Title: DYNA 6 – Software for the Dynamic Analysis and Design of Foundations and Structures

Dyna 6 is a software conceived by Dr. El Naggar and based on a previous version (Dyna 5.4) that has met with considerable commercial success. Based on feedback received from current users of Dyna 5.4, several improvements would permit the new software to gain greater commercial acceptance and possibly lead to new market opportunities.

In particular, Dyna 6 will add to the current suite of modules a structure design module for dynamic load applications such as structure designs in seismic zones or for heavy machinery integration. Furthermore, the current Dyna5 program is FORTRAN based which limits its capabilities and has a limited user interface. Customer feedback also suggests improvements in the user interface and integration capabilities with other software would make Dyna more user-friendly.


Name: Heinz-Bernard Kraatz
Co-applicant/Collaborator: David Litchfield
Award: $50,000
Title: A novel electrochemical tool for protein kinase profiling: Applications in detection, drug screening and treatment

This project is focused on the development of a powerful enabling technology for the simultaneous monitoring of the activity of cancer markers in cell and tissue extracts.  Using an electrochemical approach that is amenable to miniaturization and automation, the method has the potential to find widespread application in cancer diagnostics and in monitoring patient responses to therapy.

 

Also foreseen are applications for automated high throughput screening of potential drug candidates. In addition, it is expected the outcome of this research will have a direct impact on cancer diagnosis and treatment.


Name: Hanif M. Ladak
Co-applicant/Collaborator: Murad Husein
Award: $30,000
Title: Computer-based simulator for myringotomy training

Myringotomy is a common paediatric surgical procedure used in the treatment of middle-ear infections. Currently, surgical trainees are taught the procedure through observations and practice on a small number of patients. This training approach can place patients at risk.

Researchers are currently designing and evaluating a computer-based simulator incorporating 3D virtual-reality interfaces that allows trainees to operate on realistic computer models of ears. The simulator will be used to prepare and evaluate trainees for further training on actual patients.


Name: Rajni V. Patel
Co-applicants/Collaborators: Christopher Schlachta, Michael Naish, and Ana Luisa Trejos
Award: $10,000
Title: Multi-screen, hands-free pointer system for training in minimally invasive surgery

In minimally invasive surgery, both of the surgeon’s hands are occupied with instruments, making it very difficult to point at a monitor in order to direct a trainee’s attention to particular features. The goal of this project is to develop a hands-free pointer that can be simultaneously displayed on all of the video monitors in the operating room (OR) to facilitate training for minimally invasive surgery.

The key requirements of the system are it must be compact and easy to install, provide high accuracy at slow speeds on full resolution screens and be very responsive to the surgeon’s hands-free control actions. This project will involve the development and experimental evaluation of a prototype system.



Name: Bryan Stanley Richardson
Co-applicants/Collaborators: Martin Gebert Frasch, Robert Gagnon, and Lynn Keenliside
Award: $12,000
Title: Fetal Electrocortical Monitoring for Predicting Fetal Health During Labour

Electronic fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring is presently the most widely used means for assessing fetal health during labour in high-risk pregnancies. Normal FHR patterns are highly predictive for a healthy newborn; however, abnormal or non-reassuring FHR patterns are not as predictive for adverse outcome leading to both unnecessary cesarean delivery of the healthy newborn and the occasional delivery of an asphyxiated infant whose abnormal FHR pattern went unrecognized.

 
It has been shown in animal studies that electrocortical (ECOG) activity as a measure of the brain’s functional activity is predictably altered with an ‘adaptive brain shutdown’ when oxygenation is sufficiently compromised and leads to worsening acidemia. This ‘adaptive brain shutdown’ is likely a protective mechanism occurring well in advance of asphyxia-mediated brain injury, and might therefore prove useful for signaling such, and clinically, the need for delivery.  

Researchers will now test and modify the scalp electrodes used clinically for FHR monitoring during labour for optimal acquisition of both FHR and electroencephalographic (EEG) signals under varying hypoxic conditions simulating that in human labour and their combined capacity for predicting worsening acidemia.


Name: Immaculate K. Namukasa
Co-applicant/Collaborator: George Gadanidis
Award: $5,000
Title: Rich Online Mathematics Tasks: An Interactive Database

Teaching mathematics in innovative ways such as through problem posing and solving is important.  Teachers who have not experienced this kind of teaching find it difficult to implement. Plus such modes of teaching are difficult to outline in documents without reducing them to routines.

This project builds a web-based database that includes access to a set of annotated, exemplary, non-routine problems. The problems created by teachers in collaboration with researchers will include video clips of problem solving activities of teachers and students. Teachers who access the database will virtually participate in and observe teaching mathematics through problem solving and will be encouraged to create, annotate and add problems to the database.

The project offers K-8 teachers a researched-based resource that integrates practice and uses newer technology.