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Published: Sunday, May 23, 2004 - 22:00 Diagnosing heart attacks may become an even more precise science with the advent of the first of a series of new clinical standards issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Standard Reference Material 2921--human cardiac troponin complex--is intended to help manufacturers develop and calibrate assays that measure specific protein concentrations in patient blood samples to determine whether a heart attack has occurred. The SRM is a solution containing certified concentrations of three related proteins including cardiac troponin I, purified from human heart tissue from cadavers. Users can calibrate their assays by analyzing the SRM and comparing the results to the NIST-certified value for troponin I. The standard is expected to help reduce variations in clinical test results from as much as 50-fold on the same sample to twofold. "It’s a big first step toward getting the system under control," says Michael Welch, leader of the NIST development team. Although NIST already produces more than 60 SRMs for the clinical diagnostics community, this is the first designed to help measure concentrations of large, protein-based health status markers. Troponin I is difficult to measure because it can exist in low concentrations and in different chemical forms, sometimes attached to other related proteins. NIST is developing additional standards and methods for measuring other health-status indicators of this type, including hormones used to assess thyroid function and other markers for heart attack risk. SRM 2921 is intended to help U.S. makers of in vitro diagnostic medical devices sell their products in Europe. A European Union directive requires that such devices be calibrated with standards that are traceable to internationally recognized certified reference materials or procedures. SRM 2921 has been nominated for inclusion on the international list of higher-order reference materials. The list currently contains approximately 150 entries for 96 health status markers; NIST SRMs provide traceability for 72 of these. For more information, click here. Quality Digest does not charge readers for its content. We believe that industry news is important for you to do your job, and Quality Digest supports businesses of all types. However, someone has to pay for this content. And that’s where advertising comes in. Most people consider ads a nuisance, but they do serve a useful function besides allowing media companies to stay afloat. They keep you aware of new products and services relevant to your industry. All ads in Quality Digest apply directly to products and services that most of our readers need. You won’t see automobile or health supplement ads. So please consider turning off your ad blocker for our site. Thanks, For 40 years Quality Digest has been the go-to source for all things quality. Our newsletter, Quality Digest, shares expert commentary and relevant industry resources to assist our readers in their quest for continuous improvement. Our website includes every column and article from the newsletter since May 2009 as well as back issues of Quality Digest magazine to August 1995. We are committed to promoting a view wherein quality is not a niche, but an integral part of every phase of manufacturing and services.New Standard to Help Diagnose Heart Attacks
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