Vizag research scholar develops portable device to detect early heart attack risk

Visakhapatnam: K Venkata Sai, a PhD scholar at Gitam Deemed to be University, Visakhapatnam, is developing MYOTRACK, a portable cardiac biosensor device that can help detect heart attack risks early. He is working on it under the mentorship of Dr Rahul Kumar, a faculty at Gitam School of Science.The project has been awarded the Prime Minister’s fellowship for doctoral research among 51 scholars across India. According to the researcher, many patients with chest pain show normal ECG and troponin results, even when a heart attack is developing. MYOTRACK aims to solve this by detecting additional early-warning biomarkers linked to blocked arteries and heart stress, he said.The researchers said many people go to the emergency room with chest pain and are told their ECG and blood tests are normal. “But in reality, they may still be having a heart attack. Doctors mainly use ECG and a test called troponin, which detects heart muscle damage. The problem is that these tests can miss the early stages of a heart attack. There is a 'troponin-blind window' where damage is starting but not yet visible in standard tests,” they explained.During this time, important warning signs in the blood, such as PAPP-A and H-FABP, may already be high but are often not checked, they said. “Research shows that people with these hidden warning markers, even with normal standard tests, have a much higher risk of serious heart problems or death within 30 days. Because of this gap, some patients are wrongly sent home, leading to delayed treatment and worse outcomes,” Rahul Kumar and Venkata Sai added.MYOTRACK is a new heart testing device that checks several important blood markers at the same time instead of relying on just one test. It uses a small blood sample and advanced electrochemical sensing technology to quickly measure four key indicators related to heart health. “These markers help detect early artery plaque instability, early heart stress, and actual heart muscle damage linked to troponin release. The device gives fast, combined results in one test, offering a complete picture of the heart condition. It also uses AI and machine learning to calculate a risk score. After lab testing, it is now moving toward human clinical trials for further validation and real-world use,” they said.MYOTRACK is designed to make heart testing faster and more accessible, especially for healthcare settings in India. It gives ultra-fast results in about 10-15 minutes, while traditional lab tests can take hours. The device is portable, so it can be used in ambulances, rural clinics, and small healthcare centres where advanced labs are not available.“This can help doctors make quick decisions in emergencies. Although it is currently focused on heart care, the same technology could later be used to detect other diseases, such as neurological and inflammatory conditions,” Venkata Sai said. The developers are also looking for investment to expand and improve this technology for wider use in preventive healthcare.