Original from: Labpulse.com

A prototype heart-failure screening device that measures levels of two biomarkers for heart failure in as little as 15 minutes from a drop of saliva is being presented at the American Chemical Society (ACS) hybrid fall meeting, which is being held virtually and in person in Denver August 18-22.

The research behind the device is being presented by Trey Pittman, a graduate student at Colorado State University, under the title of "Development of a Microfluidic Electrochemical Biosensor for Heart Failure Biomarkers in Saliva."

The research suggests that a point-of-care biosensor could enable heart failure screening at home. Heart failure, in which weakened heart muscle can't effectively pump enough oxygenated blood through the body, is a leading cause of death globally; it is especially fatal for people without access to medical facilities.

Currently, the gold standard for heart failure screening consists of a blood test administered twice a year by a healthcare professional that measures levels of B-type natriuretic peptide, a protein that indicates whether the heart is working too hard.

"Our device would be ideal for people who are at high risk for heart failure but have limited access to a hospital or a centralized lab," Pittman said in a statement. "Working on this project to address health disparities in rural and low-resource areas really hits home for me because I'm from Mississippi, which has one of the highest mortality rates from heart failure in the United States."

A test for heart failure screening could be performed by an individual to check on the health condition every few weeks instead of every six months, Pittman said. 

Production and widespread use of portable saliva tests for monitoring heart health has been limited due to complicated manufacturing processes and the lack of data included beyond the presence or absence of a single biomarker.

The study team sought to overcome these challenges with their prototype, which they call an electrochemical capillary-driven immunoassay (eCaDI). The Colorado State University group, led by Charles Henry, PhD, combined a saliva microfluidic device and a biosensor for biomarker proteins Galectin-3 and S100A7 to create the hand-held testing platform; the group at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, led by Chamindie Punyadeera, PhD, quantified levels of Galectin-3 and S100A7 in saliva that correlated to heart failure.

The eCaDI device consists of three layers of clear, flexible plastic held together with alternating layers of double-sided adhesive; each is single-use and costs about $3, according to the researchers. The potentiostat, a small reusable power source, sells for about $20.

"The devices are very easy to assemble," Pittman said. "In about 20 to 30 minutes, we can make five of them."

Results from early testing by the team showed that the eCaDI accurately detected amounts of Galectin-3 and S100A7 in saliva that would indicate heart failure. The researchers next plan to test the eCaDIs at Griffith University in research trials with both healthy individuals and those with heart failure.

Research on this project was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Source: At-home heart failure screening device unveiled at ACS meeting