Dr James Dunbar checks a patient’s heart with the revolutionary vest.

Scientists have developed a new cardiac vest that can diagnose heart attacks as soon as they happen has been developed by scientists, a feat they say could lead to new ways of treating heart patients.

The electrocardiograph (ECG) technology, which has been around for the past 60 years, has its limitations and patients have to face delays of up to 12 hours for blood test results, during which continuing damage may be done.

But the new cardiac vest, developed by a British company, can give doctors detailed information within minutes about whether a patient is suffering an attack and where within the heart the problem is situated.

The UK’s Bradford Royal Infirmary will be the first hospital in the world to use the revolutionary cardiac vest, which contains 80 sensors attached to a patient’s chest and back. If trials of the new “Heartscape” device are successful, sufferers could be diagnosed up to 12 hours earlier than usual, the researchers said.

Dr James Dunbar, consultant physician at the Bradford Royal Infirmary, said the vest would enable speedier treatment for heart attack patients and also detect signs of heart disease. “It will help us gain an instant in-depth 3D view, making it easier to interpret if a patient is having a heart attack, enabling treatment to start earlier,” he said.

Photo credit: Daily Mail

Via Times of India