Anti-spasticity micro-implant wins $45,000 in pre-seed funding.

Dr Joe Dusseldorp won $45,000 in pre-seed funding at The Big Idea for his anti-spasticity micro-implant which aims to help patients living with muscle spasticity, like cerebral palsy, to regain muscle tone and control.

Dr Dusseldorp is a specialist plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse.

He told the judging panel the implant has the potential to help 34,000 people with the condition in Australia and up to 17 million worldwide.

He said the implant promises a much greater quality of life for them, as it would negate the need for support services like physiotherapy and in-home help.

Dr Dusseldorp said the funding would help with design and production and to explore implantation techniques.

He was one of five finalists who competed for the pre-seed funding, plus $25,000 in professional services from IDE Group.

Dr Samson Dowland, a lecturer in Anatomy and Histology at The University of Sydney School of Medical Sciences, won The People's Choice Award for his idea to develop a new non-hormonal contraceptive to revolutionise women's reproductive health.

He won $5,000 worth of IDE's services.

The Big Idea is a Sydney Research innovation and commercialisation challenge which supports researchers and clinicians to further develop their early stage idea to transform healthcare.

Cicada Innovations has also offered the winners a place in their incubator program, where they will be provided with support with market sounding and developing a business plan.

Each finalist had five minutes to pitch their ideas and the judging panel then had the opportunity to ask questions.

The judging panel was made up of the District's Director of Renal Medicine Professor Steve Chadban, the District's Executive Director Medical Services Clinical Governance and Risk Dr Andrew Hallahan, Professor Robyn Ward AM, the Executive Dean and Pro Vice-Chancellor, at the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney and William Hird the Principal of Davies Collison Cave.