Heart attacks could soon be diagnosed in under an hour

Saint-Étienne University Medical Center is gearing up to test a portable device for diagnosing heart attacks based on a technology developed by CEA-Leti and Irig.
This point-of-care test costs less than current techniques. However, it is also faster, a decisive advantage given that every minute counts when it comes to treating heart attacks.
Aptamers, which are synthetic DNA strands with a unique 3D shape, are used instead of the animal antibodies of conventional diagnostic tests to capture troponin, a biomarker for myocardial infarction.
LAMP, a DNA amplification method similar to PCR, is then used on the sample. The aptamer-plus-LAMP protocol has been integrated onto a self-contained microfluidic cartridge simple enough to be handled by non-specialists.
Two patents have been filed to protect the technique.

Contact: mathilde.aubret@cea.fr

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