UNC-Charlotte Alum Creates Tech That Can Quickly Detect A Heart Attack
Heart disease is a prevalent issue in this country. Recent studies have found that over 800,000 Americans suffer from heart attacks every year. And if they’re not detected and acted on swiftly enough, they can unfortunately prove fatal. But thanks to the work of UNCC graduate Andrew Brotherton, there may soon be a way to catch the early signs of a heart attack much more quickly.
Andrew has extensive experience in the medical field, having worked as an EMT while earning his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry (with minors in Biology and Mathematics). This job experience is what fueled his desire to create a quick and efficient way to diagnose heart attacks early on.
Right now the predominant tool used in detecting heart attacks is the electrocardiogram, which measures and records electrical signals traveling through the heart. However, electrocardiograms are not designed to monitor troponin levels, which Andrew believes is key to early heart attack detection as he explains in this university news release. “With the biosensor I am developing an EMT could prick a patient’s finger, get the patient’s blood and test their troponin levels…” Andrew says. “Troponin is an enzyme that heart muscle cells excrete when someone is having a heart attack.”
If the biosensor is able to detect a leakage of troponin in a person’s bloodstream, then emergency responders will be able to deliver more specialized care to heart attack victims, and provide more thorough and accurate reports to doctors.
Andrew is extremely passionate about the work he’s doing in developing these fine-tuned biosensors, and believes it can make a remarkable difference in the medical field. “…If I am able to develop the biosensor, my work will make a wider impact,” he says. “It has the potential to affect EMTs worldwide. I want the research I do to be used.”
