 "Photo: Bryant Haertlein")
A few drops of saliva could be the key to diagnosing heart attacks in the future.
John McDevitt, chemistry and biochemistry professor, collaborated with researchers at UT and other universities to develop a nano-biochip that will tell patients about the condition of their hearts.
To perform the test, a patient's saliva is loaded onto a chip about the size of a credit card. The chip is then inserted into an analyzer, similar to a credit card being inserted into an ATM, which reads the saliva sample and produces a diagnosis in 15 minutes.
"For someone having a heart attack, minutes make a difference," McDevitt said. "Faster tests mean more lives are saved."
He said the test can be performed in an ambulance, nursing home, drug store or local clinic.
"It's a noninvasive test that uses saliva and therefore can be done anywhere," McDevitt said.
Nick Christodoulides, a senior researcher working with McDevitt, said the research team is interested in detecting heart disease in respect to risk assessment, diagnosis and prevention of a second heart attack.
The technology is meant to supplement the current method of detection - electrocardiograms and blood-based tests. Christodoulides said the chip will produce results more quickly than tests performed during a visit to the doctor's office or hospital.
"By the time the patient gets to the hospital and by the time the condition is assessed using electrocardiograms and blood-based tests, there is a significant delay in the time from the onset of the symptoms until the condition is diagnosed," Christodoulides said. "Our technology promises to reduce the time delay."
Pierre Floriano, a senior researcher working with McDevitt, said their data indicates that the chip, when used in conjunction with an electrocardiogram, might also help improve sensitivity when diagnosing heart attacks.
"An electrocardiogram is a crucial tool in diagnosis, but typically, it is not going to recognize every single heart attack," Floriano said. "It might only recognize two-thirds to maybe three-quarters of heart attacks."
Christodoulides said the chip can also test for multiple risk factors simultaneously, which saves time.
Labnow Inc., a venture capital firm in conjunction with UT, is testing the technology, which could be on the market in two to five years, McDevitt said.
The researchers at UT have collaborated with researchers at the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Their research is funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
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