France develops rapid troponin test for faster heart attack detection

Saturday 26 - 15:00

A new diagnostic device developed in the Lyon area could shorten the time needed to identify myocardial infarctions in emergency settings by detecting troponin from a single drop of blood.

The technology, known as Spinchip, was presented by French in-vitro diagnostics company bioMérieux as a rapid testing solution capable of delivering results in around 10 minutes. The company said the system is designed to measure troponin, a key biological marker used in the diagnosis of heart attacks.

Finger-prick test targets a critical diagnostic window

The device is designed to work with a small blood sample collected from the fingertip rather than a conventional venous blood draw. According to bioMérieux, the test is intended to provide a level of performance comparable to existing laboratory-based methods while significantly reducing the time required to obtain an initial result.

Troponin is released into the bloodstream when heart muscle cells are damaged. Its presence and concentration can therefore provide physicians with important information when assessing patients presenting with symptoms associated with a possible heart attack.

Pierre-Géraud Claret, bioMérieux’s medical affairs director, described troponin as a biological signal reflecting damage to the heart muscle.

Current hospital testing can take considerably longer

Troponin testing is already routinely used in hospitals to help diagnose myocardial infarction. However, conventional approaches generally rely on blood samples being processed in hospital laboratories.

BioMérieux said the average time required for detection with existing laboratory-based procedures is about one hour and 21 minutes. A test capable of producing a result within approximately 10 minutes could therefore be particularly relevant in emergency departments, where rapid clinical decisions can be critical.

The Spinchip system is not intended to replace clinical assessment. Rather, its potential role is to provide medical teams with faster biological information that can be considered alongside symptoms, electrocardiograms and other diagnostic findings.

Clinical testing continues in several French hospitals

Before a wider rollout, the technology is undergoing further evaluation. According to bioMérieux, testing has been taking place for around three months at three hospitals in the Lyon area, as well as at hospitals in Clermont and Bordeaux.

Additional studies are also required as part of the process leading toward European market authorization. The company plans to present the product at the upcoming European congress of emergency medicine in Paris.

The ongoing evaluations are expected to provide further information on how the device performs under real-world emergency-care conditions and how it could fit into existing diagnostic pathways.

From Norwegian start-up to French industrial development

Spinchip originated with a Norwegian start-up before being further developed and finalized in the Lyon metropolitan area. The project subsequently moved toward commercialization following the necessary regulatory authorizations, according to bioMérieux.

The development illustrates the growing effort to bring laboratory-quality diagnostic capabilities closer to the point of patient care. Instead of relying exclusively on centralized laboratory facilities, rapid testing technologies can allow certain biological measurements to be performed directly in or near emergency treatment areas.

For suspected heart attacks, where every stage of diagnosis can influence the speed of medical intervention, reducing the time between blood collection and the availability of results remains a major focus for healthcare innovation.

A potential shift in emergency cardiac diagnostics

Spinchip's development comes as hospitals and diagnostic companies continue to seek faster ways of identifying acute cardiovascular conditions. Its ability to analyze troponin from a fingertip blood sample in roughly 10 minutes could offer an alternative approach to conventional laboratory workflows if ongoing evaluations and regulatory requirements are successfully completed.

The technology will now face further clinical and regulatory scrutiny before any large-scale deployment. Its future use will depend not only on diagnostic performance but also on how effectively it can be integrated into emergency-care practices.