Scientists at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland developed the world's smallest medical implant that detects the risk of heart attack and sends a signal to the phone via Bluetooth to warn about the attack, according to a report in FOX News.
Scientists developed the new smartphone app that receives signal from the 14mm device that helps in detecting a heart attack early so life-saving treatment can be performed to save a life. The world's smallest blood-monitoring device is implanted in the skin which detects if heart-specific muscle protein triponin levels are increased in the blood which results in damage to the heart muscle or even a heart attack.
Besides detecting an early heart attack, this app also helps to keep a track of glucose and lactate levels. The implanted device is charged with a battery patch outside the body which supplies 100 milliwatts of power. Despite the benefits of the latest innovation, Dr. Leigh Vinocur, from LSU Health Science Center, addressed some issues that the device may suffer under different circumstances. "What happens if you're in an area where there isn't good cell service? It's not that reliable right now. Is it 4G, is it 3G?" Vinocur told Fox News.
She also noted since the detection of a heart attack is based on the elevated levels of triponin that may not completely reliable. "The chemical is first released 4 hours after a heart attack and peaks at 16 hours after. And sometimes that's very late and it means the muscle is already damaged," Vinocur told FoxNews.com.
Several health experts were impressed with the advancement in science technology which can be helpful in many ways.
Dr. Ralph Stewart, Auckland Hospital cardiologist, says the technology might seem supportive theoretically, but it should not replace doctors' advice because heart attack cannot be always detected by the levels of troponin in the blood. "So there are many factors that determine the risk over time. It certainly is not going to avoid the need to see a doctor," he said.
Sulabh Sharma, managing director of app development company Sush Mobile, said the new invention is a marker to the advancement in the future technology world and helps in managing health reducing the medical expenses. He further said that the discovery has been the first of a kind for any organization in New Zealand.
