A novel Russian rapid test designed to diagnose myocardial infarction boasts a sensitivity 45 times greater than any existing tests globally. This innovation enables the detection of a heart attack from a single drop of blood in a mere six minutes. Scientists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) and the A. M. Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences developed this method.
In recent times, myocardial infarction is being identified with increasing frequency in younger individuals. The primary demographic at risk now consists of men between the ages of 40 and 50.
Minutes matter. What to do when a heart attack begins
Faster and More Precise
Typically, a heart attack manifests as acute, burning chest pain that radiates to the left arm, neck, or back. Affected individuals also experience shortness of breath and weakness. A quite common presentation of a heart attack involves intense pain in the upper abdomen accompanied by nausea and vomiting. While similar symptoms might arise from poisoning, gastritis, or intercostal neuralgia, those conditions are not life-threatening. In contrast, identifying a heart attack as quickly as possible is crucial for initiating treatment and saving a life. Conventional laboratory analyses require between 30 and 60 minutes and necessitate specialized equipment. This new rapid test, however, allows for diagnosis within mere minutes. Nevertheless, existing rapid tests have historically lacked the sensitivity required to pick up on early indicators of cardiac muscle damage, frequently leading to inaccurate results.
Russian researchers have successfully addressed the precision issue while maintaining speed. The new test system functions as follows: A drop of blood is applied to a strip, similar to one used in a pregnancy test. As the fluid soaks in, a rotating magnetic field is activated. Nano-chains then capture a specific protein—cTnI (the presence of which signals myocardial damage)—and deposit themselves onto the test line. Specific markers then form on the strip. This entire process takes 6 minutes. A portable magnetic device reads the outcome. The rotating magnetic field is essential to make the nano-chains spin rapidly, stirring the blood around them, which accelerates their ability to capture the marker protein by tens of times.
Beyond Heart Attacks
“Crucially, we hardly had to redesign the standard test strip at all: we utilize the conventional nitrocellulose membrane, meaning all the novelty resides in the markers themselves and the method of reading the result,” explained Alexey Orlov, the lead author of the study and a senior researcher at GPI RAS, to aif.ru.
This implies that the strips will be economical and readily obtainable.
The developers tested the device and found zero instances of false positives. The method is slated for large-scale clinical trials with patient groups in the near future. The creators also point out that the platform they engineered holds potential for adaptation to detect various other elusive biomarkers, ranging from food-related contaminants to oncological toxins.
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