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Spinal Cord Injury Therapy

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posted on 2025-01-29, 22:49 authored by Louise HarveyLouise Harvey, Zeynep AkcayZeynep Akcay

This research investigated how to create animation to describe the complex medical procedures involved with ground-breaking spinal cord injury therapy being developed by Griffith University's Spinal Cord Injury unit. This involved a collaborative effort between all stakeholders (scientists, patients and animators) through which a suitable (animated) visual language could emerge which accommodated the needs, limitations and expectations of all concerned.

The outcome of this research is a two-minute bio-medical animation, consisting of a blend of CGI animation and 2D stylised animation, narrated by an AI-generated voice.

The work was a critical component in a successful application for $6.8M in funding from the Medical Research Future Fund grant, awarded to the Spinal Cord Injury Trial to support their continued research.

The entire animation is on permanent display on the Griffith University Spinal Cord Injury Nerve Bridge Transplantation Trial web page.

Excerpts from the animation were screened on ABC News Australia 21/10/24, as part of a news story on the spinal cord injury trial. This broadcast is viewable on the ABC YouTube channel Trial using nasal cells to help spinal cord injury patients and also New hope for spinal injury sufferers with nerve trial.

Excerpts from the animation are also included in the AbilitiTV YouTube Channel Episode 6: Spinal Cord Repair Trial, available for public viewing since Nov 2024.

History

ERA Category

  • Recorded/Rendered Creative Work - Film/Video

Funding type

  • Self funded

Eligible major research output?

  • Yes

If not major research

  • Major Research

Research Statement

Research Background: Spinal Cord Injury Therapy Animation summarises the complex medical processes involved in the human clinical trial for olfactory nerve bridge cell transplantation for patients, funders and general audience. It seeks to answer the question: “How different techniques and genres of animation can be combined to create a scientifically accurate, yet human-centered illustration of a complex bio-medical trial?” Research Contribution Iwasa (p.3, 2022) states that “Animations can describe processes in far more detail and with more precision than either spoken or written language.” Yet it is rare to see character animation combined with medical animation to engage different audiences at once. Following an interdisciplinary and participative design process involving Griffith University's Spinal Cord Injury Team, Spinal Cord Injury Patients and Griffith University research partnership manager, the researchers met regularly to unfold the implications of the research question with several sub-questions, such as: which animation method is best to use for what sections of information, how to represent microscopic elements of the trial, how to depict a spinal cord injury patient in an accurate, relatable and ethical way? This resulted in a one-minute animated film combining 3D animation to represent the medical procedures with 2D character animation to represent the patient. Research Significance After viewing the completed film, the patients and scientists we interviewed stated that the film successfully captured the important aspects of the treatment. The film was used in successful application for a $6.8M Medical Research Future Fund grant and it is open to public viewing at the Spinal Cord Injury Nerve Bridge Transplantation Trial website. Excerpts from the animation were featured in the ABC News Australia report screened nationally on 21/10/2024.

Publisher

Griffith University

Place of publication

Brisbane

Confidential / Culturally sensitive

  • No

Copyright notes

© 2024 Griffith University

Language

English

Medium

Animation

Size of work

resolution 1920 x 1080

Number of discrete components

1

Length of recording

2 minutes 14 seconds

Date of recording

2/5/2024

Was the work disseminated?

  • Yes

Form of dissemination

  • Public broadcast

Scope of dissemination

  • National

Did the work go on tour?

  • No

Name of commercial distributor

Australian Broadcasting Corporation - ABC

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