CALGARY: Zeel Patel, 16, impressed judges at science fair with his test for clogged arteries that is not only faster, but cheaper. The Calgary-based Indo-Canadian is already an expert in atherosclerosis- buildup of plaque in the arteries that can lead to heart attacks, stroke or death.
Patel created a low-cost blood test for the disease he calls CADSense. The paper-based test is placed into a blood sample, and can detect an early biomarker of the disease called oxidised LDL. If the biomarker is present, the paper turns yellow or brown, indicating that the patient most likely has plaque in their arteries and should consult a doctor for further testing. The teen said his project can detect symptoms instantly, unlike current tests that have to be sent to a lab. And with the materials used being cheap, the test comes at a meagre price of around $7. He has applied for a patent for CADSense and says the best part of the test is that anyone can take it.
"What my chemical reaction is based off of is that it uses potassium phosphate and adds it potassium iodide, which targets the lipid peroxide, so molecules on the surface of the biomarker... and it produces a triiodide ion," Patel said. The 11th grader admitted that he gets excited when talking about his work. "What I think my teacher would say about me is that I am the loudest kid in the class, the one who is always talking to classmates while he is supposed to be working. Patel won a gold medal at the 55th annual Canada Wide Science Fair at McGill University in Montreal for his invention, also, the Canadian Medical Laboratory’s Health Sciences Award, which is given to a health sciences project- the best in its age division.
