Development of a Non-Invasive Device for Detection of Troponin-I as a Predictive Biomarker for Heart Failure

Heart attacks are a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Acute Myocardial infarction (AMI) - commonly known as a silent heart attack, is a fatal cardiovascular disease with symptoms such as chest pain, fatigue, arrhythmia, etc. Improving early detection can significantly reduce the mortality rates and enhance the overall health and well-being of the community. Thus, there is an urgent need for a portable device that provides real-time results, making it a point-of-care solution that eliminates the need for patients to visit hospitals for prior diagnosis. The proposed minimally invasive and non-invasive device operates on the principles of photoplethysmography, where a specific wavelength light-emitting diode (LEDs) is used to emit light. The development of the proposed benchtop non-invasive device that estimates Troponin-I levels in the bloodstream has different phases involved: (i) Ex-vivo exploratory research, (ii) Development of a minimally invasive benchtop model, and (iii) Development of a Non-invasive finger model. In the first phase, an investigational study is conducted to determine the spectral features of Troponin-I with the optical characterization using the pure form of Troponin-I. In the second phase, a minimally invasive benchtop model is developed and tested for estimating the accuracy of detecting the Troponin-I. Other proteins, which are considered reference proteins in the body, are procured and tested to study the spectral overlapping. Three subjects are randomly recruited, and whole blood is collected to detect the Troponin-I in the blood. In the last phase, a non-invasive finger model is proposed and developed that can detect Circulatory Troponin-I levels in the blood.