-
Professor Neil Piller - Flinders
University Clinical Trials using the
Sun Ancon Chi Machine - Published
articles regarding the clinical trial results:
Professor Neil Piller -
Lymphologist and Team Leader Lymphoedema Assessment
Clinic:
Prof. Piller works at the Flinders University
Medical Center in South Australia and specializes in clinical and experimental
research on primary and secondary lymphoedemas and oedemas, their assessment,
treatment and management. He belongs to the Australasian Lymphology Association
and the Lymphoedema Association of Australia and am the Patron of the Lymphoedema
Support Group of South Australia.
"Professor Piller along with Dr Stephen Birrell
established the Lymphoedema Assessment Clinic in 1993. The Clinic specializes
in the assessment and differential diagnosis of lymphoedemas, oedemas and
lipoedemas. The Clinic uses a range of assessment tools such as perometry,
bio-impedance and tonometry to objectively determine tissue changes and
as the basis of the diagnosis. The Clinic reviews patients from across
Australia and overseas and as an outcome presents patients with a comprehensive
treatment and management plan." - Flinders University Medical
Center.
Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia.
Flinders Medical Devices and Technologies (FMDAT)
- Member Neil Piller.
Research, Develop, Apply and Commercialize Medical
Devices & Technologies:
€ Internationally recognized lymphologist:
€ Part of an international network of researchers
in lymphological disorders
€ Director and team leader of a multi-disciplinary
team of researchers
€ Consultant and advisor to government,
professional and industry groups
€ Published and presented over 300 articles
including in Lymphology, New England Journal of Medicine, Australian Doctor,
Medicine Today.
€ Regular presenter and invited speaker
at international meetings, the most recent being the International Society
of Lymphology meeting in Germany, the British Lymphology Society meeting
in Glasgow, Vein meeting in Auckland and Phlebology meeting in Sydney.
€ Editor/Reviewer of international journals
including, Lymphatic Research and Biology, US-China journal of Oncology
and Lymphology, medical science monitor
€ Involved in screening programs for early
detection of soft tissue changes in chronic disorders such as lymphoedema,
oedemas and lipoedemas
€ Interested in the early detection and
treatment of superficial tissue diseases and disorders
€ Developed techniques for the measurement
of fibre and other changes in superficial tissues
€ Very strong commitment to patient and
practitioner awareness raising and education
€ Runs a range of course for patients and
health professionals in the areas of oedemas/lymphoedemas and their recognition
€ Recipient of over $1.6 million in Industry,
Government and other grants in recent years.
- Extracted from Flinders University
Medical Center website.
15th June 2000
Gordon Pan, head of Hsin Ten and Louise Hicks, Chairperson of Flinders
University
Consulting, signing the contract for the clinical trial research project
at Flinders University.
May 30th 2002 - Letter from Professor Neil
Piller regarding the significance of the
clinical trial results using the Hsin Ten
Sun Ancon Chi Machine (Aerobic Exerciser).
EXTRACTS:
1) 'Between 2000 and 2002 a large scale Clinical Trial was conducted
at Flinders Medical Center on two groups of patients, one with chronic
leg Secondary
Lymphoedema and one with chronic leg Venous Oedema.'
2) 'It is obvious that the Sun Ancon Aerobic exerciser has a very significant
impact on chronic limb swelling associated with failure of the lymphatic
systems and compromised vascular systems combined with an overloaded lymphatic
system even when used in the patient's home for 3 weeks. Given that some
of the patients have had their problems for up to 30 years and that they
were generally (to the time of the trial) receiving the best current treatments
without great impact, these trial findings offer considerable hope for
this group of patients.'
Professor Neil Piller, Team Leader Lymphoedema Assessment Clinic,
Trial Leader of the Sun Ancon Chi Machine Clinical Trials.
3) 'The trial results have been presented at the International Congress
of lymphology meeting in Genoa in 2001 and are about to be published in
the medical literature now the study is complete.'
Flinders University
Medical Research
The Sun Ancon Chi Machine clinical trials and the results.
January 2002
Amanda Moseley, Prof. Neil Piller, Louise Hicks,
Dr. S. Birrell and Jerry Tsai (CEO of Hsin Ten).
Equipment trials come up trumps.
On Campus: March 28 - April 8, 2002
Researchers from the Department of Public Health Lymphoedema Assessment
Clinic and Flinders Biomedical Engineering recently concluded trials on
behalf of Hsin Ten Enterprises, a Taiwanese-based company.
The team of researchers was headed by Professor Neil Piller, a specialist
in the treatment of oedemas, medical conditions that result in swelling
of the legs through fluid retention. Loss of fluid and a reduction in the
pain and swelling were among the results observed and evaluated over 21
days use of the machine by oedema sufferers. The research work was a feature
of a recent ABC television program.
A recent function marked the conclusion of the project, and final results
of the trial were presented by Flinders Consulting Chairman Ms Louise Hicks
to Mr Jerry Tsai, President of Hsin Ten. In recognition of the researchers'
efforts, Mr Tsai generously donated 20 of the company's Aerobic Exerciser
machines to the Lymphoedema Assessment Clinic for further research and
for selected use by suffers of oedemas. Hsin Ten representatives from both
Taiwan and Sydney attended the function, and further collaborations with
Flinders were now being discussed.
Dr Wayne Harvey, Managing Director of Flinders Consulting, said it was
gratifying to see the increase in use and recognition of expertise offered
by university researchers.
"The skills of university staff are increasingly being applied to commercial
opportunities with community benefits," Dr Harvey said.
- Flinders University, www.flinders.edu.au
Flinders University has independently produced
3 booklets detailing the research findings and outlining the conditions
of 1) Secondary Lymphoedema 2) Venous Oedema 3) Patient follow-up testimonials.
Available from HTE
Australia
The booklets contain a condensed report of the
findings of a large scale clinical trial contracted out to Professor Piller
on behalf of Hsin Ten by Flinders Consulting, as well as providing instructions
for the reader on how to take optimum care of their leg/s, with additional
guidance regarding the types of treatments that may be available to them.
Flinders University has also produced an interactive
DVD for educating professionals and patients about the lymphatic system
and the clinical trial results. It features the Sun Ancon Chi Machine as
an option of treatment. "The Vital Essence: Understanding the lymphatic
system in health and disease" DVD is only available from Flinders University.
Published medical articles regarding the Chi
Machine clinical trial results:
Flinders University published their clinical trial results in the 1)
Australian and New Zealand, Phlebology, November 2003 as did 2a) Lymphology,
June 2004 and 2b) Lymphology, December 2002.
1) The Impact of the Sun Ancon Chi Machine
Aerobic Exercise on Chronic Oedema of the Legs. - by Mosley,
Piller, Carati, Esterman - Medical Journal of Phlebology, November 2003.
2a) The
Sun Ancon Chi Machine Aerobic Exerciser: a new patient focused, home-based
therapy for people with chronic secondary leg lymphoedema.
'A significant proportion of those who survive lower torso cancer treatments
will go on to develop clinically discernible bilateral or unilateral leg
lymphedema. Although beneficial treatments exist for this condition, many
are expensive and involve visits to outpatient clinics or allied health
professionals--making the patient dependent upon others for treatment and
maintenance. This clinical trial tested the efficacy of the Sun Ancon Chi
Machine Aerobic Exerciser, a home based therapy that delivered both elevation
and passive exercise to the legs. This machine was used in the participant's
home according to a set regime with measurements being taken immediately
before trial commencement, at weekly intervals and then 1 month after treatment
cessation. After a three week treatment period there were statistically
significant reductions in total leg volume and fluids, whole body extracellular
fluid, weight and subjective leg symptoms. Lymphscintigraphy in a sub-group
of patients suggested an increase in lymphatic transport in some individuals.
Although some of the fluid and symptoms had returned at the 1 month follow
up, none of the parameters had returned to pre-treatment levels. This finding
indicates that this equipment may have ongoing beneficial effects. This
clinical trial demonstrates that the Sun Ancon Chi Machine Aerobic Exerciser
is an effective adjunct therapy that can be used in the patient's own home.'
Department of Surgery and Lymphoedema Assessment Clinic, School of Medicine,
Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.
Lymphology. Issue 37, June 2004, p.43-4 - Moseley AL, Piller N, Esterman
A, Carati C.
Sun Ancon
Chi Machine
2b) Combined
opto-electronic perometry and bioimpedance to measure objectively the effectiveness
of a new treatment intervention for chronic secondary leg lymphedema.
'Secondary lymphedema of the legs is a common sequela of patients treated
for cancer of the reproductive, gastrointestinal, urinary systems and melanoma.
From a clinical and research perspective it is of utmost importance to
use techniques that objectively quantify leg volume and fluid composition
as an indicator of lymphedema severity and response to treatment. Two techniques
often used in both the clinical and research setting are leg perometry
and multi-frequency bioimpedance. Although both techniques have been extensively
validated, this trial aimed to cross correlate both measurement techniques
to ascertain whether each or both could be used reliably for measurement
of leg lymphedema. These measurements were utilized throughout a clinical
trial that assessed the effectiveness of a new home based treatment program
in the form of the Sun Ancon Aerobic Exerciser. This machine delivered
both elevation and passive exercise to the legs, with participants using
the machine over a three week period during which time their leg volumes
were measured using both perometry and bioimpedance. The results demonstrated
that leg volume measurements decreased using both perometry and bioimpedance.
The reduction in body extracellular fluid as measured by bioimpedance correlated
well with a reduction in leg volume as measured by perometry. Bioimpedance
also recorded a reduction in weight, which was correlated with the reduction
in leg volume as measured by perometry. This trial confirms that perometry
and bioimpedance were both effective in independently showing a reduction
in leg lymphedema using the Aerobic Exerciser therapy, and that both methods
can be reliably used to measure and follow leg lymphedema.'
Lymphedema Assessment Clinic, Flinders Surgical Oncology Unit, Department
of Public Health School of Medicine, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park,
Adelaide, South Australia.
Lymphology. Issue 35, December 2002, p.136-43 - Moseley A, Piller N,
Carati C.
In-depth
Medical Research Study
Scientific Basis for the Activation Properties
of the Chi Machine - PDF
