A team of researchers has developed a simple, low-cost technology for detecting rheumatic heart disease earlier, Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev said in a statement on Thursday.
The researchers said that the new method, described in the journal ACS Sensors, could make testing more accessible in remote areas with limited medical resources.
Rheumatic heart disease can follow an untreated strep throat infection, as the immune response damages the heart’s valves. It remains a leading cause of illness and death among young people in developing countries.
The new technology uses a polymer to detect disease markers in blood. When present, it emits a light signal that can be measured using basic laboratory equipment.
The researchers said the technology could also be adapted to detect markers linked to other diseases.