Rapid cardiac biomarker test is created

SINGAPORE, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Singaporean scientists say they've developed a rapid cardiac biomarker testing system that cuts testing time from 6 hours to 45 minutes.

The researchers at Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research and the Institute of Microelectronics said their test can look simultaneously for specific cardiac biomarkers in a finger prick amount of blood.

The silicon-based integrated system's features could help physicians quickly arrive at the right diagnosis for timely medical intervention in patients suspected of having heart attacks, particularly individuals who do not show obvious signs of chest pains or shortness of breath, the scientists said.

"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," said Dr. Philip Wong, who helped develop the new system. "The test kits can be rapidly deployed, and tests to confirm clinical diagnosis can be completed within short time frames … without the need to transport patients' specimens," Wong said.

Researchers said the system uses semiconducting silicon nanowires as biosensors. The working principle behind the nanowire biosensors is the field-effect transistor, which is responsible for generating a measurable electrical response when specific antibody-antigen interactions occur on the nanowire surface.

The technology and processes used for fabricating this integrated device have yielded two patents to date.