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Updated: Sep 22, 2025
Using Extraordinary Optical Transmission to Quantify Cardiac Biomarkers in Human Serum
Published on: December 13, 2017
Development and preliminary validation of infrared spectroscopic device for transdermal assessment of elevated
Jitto Titus1, Alan H B Wu2, Siddharth Biswal1
1RCE Technologies, 233 Arnold Mill Rd Suite 300, Woodstock, GA 30188 USA.
Insights
This study introduces a non-invasive, transdermal method for monitoring cardiac troponin-I levels using infrared spectroscopy. This bloodless approach shows promise for diagnosing acute coronary syndrome, offering a new diagnostic tool.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Diagnostics
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Acute coronary syndrome diagnosis relies on troponin levels and electrocardiograms.
- Current troponin assays require blood draws, limiting measurement frequency.
- A need exists for continuous, non-invasive troponin monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a non-invasive transdermal monitoring device for cardiac troponin-I.
- To assess the feasibility of infrared spectroscopy for detecting elevated troponin-I levels through the skin.
Main Methods:
- Development of a transdermal device utilizing infrared spectroscopic detection of troponin-I.
- Testing in laboratory, benchtop, and clinical settings with patients suspected of acute coronary syndrome.
Main Results:
- Significant correlation (r=0.7774) between transdermal optical data and blood-based immunoassay measurements.
- Area under the ROC curve of 0.895, with 96.3% sensitivity and 60% specificity for elevated troponin-I detection.
Conclusions:
- Presents a novel, bloodless transdermal method for troponin-I measurement using molecular spectroscopy.
- Highlights potential challenges and future directions for improving diagnostic accuracy and precision.
Background:
The levels of circulating troponin are principally required in addition to electrocardiograms for the effective diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome. Current standard-of-care troponin assays provide a snapshot or momentary view of the levels due to the requirement of a blood draw. This modality further restricts the number of measurements given the clinical context of the patient. In this communication, we present the development and early validation of non-invasive transdermal monitoring of cardiac troponin-I to detect its elevated state.
Methods:
Our device relies on infrared spectroscopic detection of troponin-I through the dermis and is tested in stepwise laboratory, benchtop, and clinical studies. Patients were recruited with suspected acute coronary syndrome.
Results:
We demonstrate a significant correlation (r = 0.7774, P < 0.001, n = 52 biologically independent samples) between optically-derived data and blood-based immunoassay measurements with and an area under receiver operator characteristics of 0.895, sensitivity of 96.3%, and specificity of 60% for predicting a clinically meaningful threshold for defining elevated Troponin I.
Conclusion:
This preliminary work introduces the potential of a bloodless transdermal measurement of troponin-I based on molecular spectroscopy. Further, potential pitfalls associated with infrared spectroscopic mode of inquiry are outlined including requisite steps needed for improving the precision and overall diagnostic value of the device in future studies.
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