A Point-of-Care Measurement of NT-proBNP for Heart Failure Patients

Heart Failure (HF) diagnosis, subsequent admissions, and possible readmissions present challenges for health systems worldwide. An increasing number of patients within an ageing population are surviving cardiac conditions which can leave them with residual heart function impairment. Follow-up visits of either confirmed HF sufferers or HF high-risk patients could be reduced through the implementation of Point-of-Care (PoC) measurement of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), an inactive signal portion of the active hormone BNP that is released in response to cardiac wall stretch. Serial measurements of NT-proBNP concentration may serve to indicate progress/deterioration of HF sufferers which in turn indicates the quality of the interventions designed to treat HF. We present an integrated PoC solution that involves the user-friendly, low volume sampling of blood directly into a single-use sampling key with an integral NT-proBNP biomarker detection strip operating on a lateral flow immunoassay principle. When inserted into a corresponding portable electronic reader it forms an integrated detection and measurement platform that wirelessly communicates measurements (Wi-Fi) for cloud-based reporting, trending and data analysis. The system provides a practical, inexpensive support tool for HF management by informing those involved in clinical decision-making with necessary biomarker data. The PoC NT-proBNP measurement compares well against alternative technologies based on image analysis.