ARTICLES |
BIA research was initiated in 1988 under the auspices of Drs Leigh Ward (UQ) and Brian Thomas (QUT) shortly to be joined by Dr Bruce Cornish (QUT). Originally efforts were directed at producing a simple phase-sensitive single frequency device which after early prototypes became the BIM4.
This was produced with the electronic engineering expertise of Hilary Johnson of SEAC, a Brisbane based electronics R&D company. Shortly afterwards a 6-frequency phase-sensitive instrument was designed and manufactured concurrent with the publication of a theoretical basis for prediction of total, intra- and extracellular water by multiple frequency BIA (Cornish et al., 1993).
Following successful validation of this approach (Cornish et al., 1991, Thomas et al., 1992), a full spectrum (4 to 1000 kHz) analyser was produced, the SFB2. In collaboration with Dr Marinos Elia of the Dunn Clinical Nutrition Centre in Cambridge, UK, this instrument was validated for the prediction of body fluid volumes in humans (Cornish et al., 1996). The SFB2 was developed further to the SFB3 model was supplied, as part of fostering of international research in BIA, to other researchers elsewhere in the world.
Further world-wide recognition of our research came in 1994, when our group was approached by Pankosmos, part of the German Space Biomedical Organisation, to develop a version of the technology for use in forthcoming space missions aboard the Mir space orbiter. Two prototype devices were built, delivered to Pankosmos and tested for flight compatibility in Moscow. This resulted in flight versions being produced and flying in Mir in 1996-1997.
Commercial development of BIA instrumentation has continued under the auspices of Impedimed Pty. Ltd., a company independent of the Universities, established in 1999 specifically for this purpose.
Our research group continues to be active in the field, currently concentrating upon the development of multiple frequency impedance cardiography and the application of BIA to the diagnosis and monitoring of lymphoedema (Cornish et al., 2001) and brain oedema in neonates (Lingwood et al., 2002).
* Cornish, B.H., Ward, L.C. and Thomas, B.J. (1991) Measurement of extracellular and total body water of rats using multiple frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis. Nutr. Res. 12, 657.
* Thomas, B.J., Cornish, B.H. and Ward, L.C. (1992) Bioelectrical impedance analysis for measurement of body fluid volumes: a review. J. Clin. Eng. 17, 505.
* Cornish, B.H., Thomas B.J. and Ward, L.C. (1993) Improved prediction of extracellular and total body water using impedance loci generated by multiple frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis. Phys. Med. Biol. 38, 337.
* Cornish, B.H., Ward, L.C., Thomas, B.J., Jebb, S.A. and Elia, E. (1996) Evaluation of body water volumes in humans by multiple frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (MFBIA). Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 50: 159-164
* Cornish BH, Chapman M, Hirst C, Mirolo B, Bunce IH, Ward LC, Thomas BJ (2001) Early diagnosis of lymphoedema using multiple frequency bioimpedance. Lymphology 34: 2-11.
* Lingwood BE, Dunster KR, Colditz PB and Ward LC (2002) The non-invasive measurement of cerebral bioimpedance for detection of cerebral oedema in the neonatal piglet. Brain. Res. 945: 97-105