Philips launches new Minicare I-20 troponin blood test in Europe

Philips has announced that its new Minicare I-20 troponin blood test has received European CE Mark approval.

The cardiac troponin I blood test for the Minicare I-20 handheld device has been designed to provide lab-comparable test results in less than ten minutes in a point-of-care setting, accelerating the clinical decision-making process.

Only a single droplet of blood needs to be taken from the patient, eliminating the discomfort and hour-long waits associated with current testing methods. It allows doctors to rule out the possibility of a heart attack in around three hours.

This is particularly important for high-risk cardiac patients, such as those with acute coronary syndrome, as fast triage and rapid initiation of treatment are essential to help improve patient outcomes and save lives.

Marcel van Kasteel, chief executive officer of handheld diagnostics at Philips, said: "Minicare I-20 is designed to help care providers to reduce time to treatment and reduce time to discharge of patients, thereby helping to decrease crowding in the emergency department and leading to better use of hospital resources."