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Biochip technology to provide rapid assessment of cardiac biomarkers in a near-patient setting could save the NHS in excess of £100m per year, as well as improving patient care and potentially saving lives, according to Randox Laboratories.

Randox?s Evidence MultiStat utilises Cardiac Array, which combines novel and routine biomarkers to provide a clearer picture of a patient?s cardiac status, and can be used at a wide range of locations throughout the hospital, such as the Emergency Department, Cardiology ward or Central pathology laboratory.

A three-year study using the Cardiac Array in over 1000 patients found that it provides a 98% negative predictive value (NPV) for MI at three-six hours after chest pain onset, making it ideal as an early rule-out test for low to medium risk chest pain patients presenting to the ED. This could offer substantial potential healthcare savings for many NHS hospitals, enabling them to significantly reduce the number of chest pain patients admitted whilst waiting for a precautionary 12 hour Troponin result.

The same 1000 patient study also found that the Cardiac Array was 89% sensitive for MI during the same early time points, which constitutes a 20% increase in sensitivity compared to Troponin alone. This enables clinicians to diagnose MI/ACS earlier and direct these patients for appropriate treatment, potentially saving lives.

Furthermore, recent studies have suggested that the Array could also have a valuable prognostic role in the long term risk stratification of patients with a 12 hour Troponin negative result. Many of these patients are at increased risk due to the fact that they are likely to be discharged from hospital with a non-cardiac diagnosis, and therefore without treatment. These individuals are identified using the Array. A negative result for both Troponin and the Array was associated with 0% mortality after six months.