Experts from A*STAR’s Institute of Microelectronics (or IME) have created a fast and responsive integrated technique to apparently examine particular cardiac biomarkers in blood. This new method seems to condense the sample preparation and investigation time duration which is usually 6 hours to merely 45 minutes.
The new technology has apparently exhibited capable multiplexing facility, so the new method can now gauge many cardiac biomarkers concurrently. It appears to be less invasive as it utilizes blood from just a prick of the finger.
Philip Wong, Senior Consultant of Singapore National Heart Centre, commented, “The key to saving lives in heart attack scenarios is time and the quicker and more accurate the diagnosis can be made, the faster proper care and treatment can be instituted. The test kits can be rapidly deployed, and tests to confirm clinical diagnosis can be completed within short time frames. As the kits are deployed on-site as opposed to a central laboratory, confirmation of condition is rapid without the need to transport patients’ specimens.”
The IME-developed silicon-based integrated system is claimed to be a label-free technology that applies semiconducting silicon nanowires (SiNWs) as biosensors.
Cardiac protein biomarkers are believed to be matters that are discharged into the blood when the heart is impaired. Particular antibodies that are powerless onto the nanowire surface could extract antibody-antigen communications when permitted to get in touch with a collection of charged cardiac biomarkers.
Such corresponding discovery of numerous biomarkers could be made feasible by the new microsystem that comprise of the following constituents into one solo system. The inherent filtration system is said to be present to remove almost immediately the test serum from the complete blood sample. A collection of SiNW chips covered with diverse antibodies is apparently used for concurrent finding of numerous biomarkers. A recording microchip is supposedly applied for simultaneous and instant signal-readout from various SiNW sensors.
For heart attack detection, cardiac biomarkers like troponin-T and creatinine kinases are said to be the proteins used. Troponin and creatinine are claimed to be the elements of the cardiac muscle cells that are discharged into the blood when the cells and tissues are impaired following a heart attack. Therefore higher levels of troponin-T or creatinine kinases in the blood could inform the doctors that a heart attack has occurred.
Troponin-T is said to be recognized as a responsive marker of myocardial injury in the general population. The troponin-T level in the blood is believed to augment in 4 to 6 hours subsequent to the beginning of a heart attack and reaches the climax at about 24 hours. This raise is said to remain for around 10 to 14 days.
It is alleged that around one fourth of all heart attacks are uncharacteristic i.e. they do not exhibit noticeable indications of chest pains or shortness of breath. To precisely identify an atypical heart attack could thus need a skilled medical eye, comprehensive medical history in addition to competent, responsive and exact diagnostic tests.
This new technology could prove to be beneficial to diagnose future heart attacks.