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When individuals experience acute myocardial infarction, also known as a heart attack, time is precious. Detection and diagnosis of a heart attack have typically required expensive laboratory equipment and quick access to advanced medical facilities. Now, researchers at the U.S. National Science Foundation Precise Advanced Technologies and Health Systems for Underserved Populations (NSF PATHS-UP) Engineering Research Center have developed a paper-based test which measures cardiac troponin I (cTnI), one of the biomarkers of a heart attack, in just 15 minutes, making testing less expensive and more readily available.

“We are excited to introduce this low-cost, portable solution that bridges the gap between central laboratory diagnostics and point-of-care testing,” said Aydogan Ozcan, the Volgenau Chair for Engineering Innovation at UCLA who is part of the NSF PATHS-UP executive committee. “Our paper-based platform, powered by deep learning, offers an effective alternative to the bulky, expensive instruments currently used in hospitals. It holds the promise of bringing advanced cardiac diagnostics to underserved populations globally.”

In research recently published in ACS Nano, the team demonstrated the use of a deep learning-enhanced, paper-based vertical flow assay capable of detecting cTnI with high sensitivity. These paper-based tests are both cost-effective and highly portable, costing only $4 per test and only $170 for the portable reader, which is designed using a Raspberry Pi computer and off-the-shelf components. The team anticipates that

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