A 16-year-old boy turned the printer into a device for detecting heart disease

The 16-year-old invented a fast, low-cost, on-the-spot heart disease test, and helped him to win one of 20 tickets to the Global Science Fair final of Google.

Adriel Sumathipala - 16-year-old inventor

Adriel Sumathipala - one of the candidates for the Google Science Fair finals - is a tinkerer . With the invention of a low-cost heart disease detection device , Sumathipala is a candidate for a prize worth more than $ 50,000 awarded by Google, for the most talented young people in the world.

Portrait of Adriel Sumathipala

Family with a history of heart disease

The 16-year-old boy talked about family specialties: Grandpa - who died of a heart attack before Sumathipala was born - was a man who loved construction and manufacturing. Heart disease made Sumathipala known only to his grandfather through 'crumbling stories and photographs' . When he realized that he and his family were also at risk, Sumathipala tried to make a healthy, healthy diet.

But Sumathipala was disappointed that he had no way to monitor the effectiveness of this regimen, because diagnosing cardiovascular disease today requires expensive laboratory tests to measure cholesterol levels.

So, the 16-year-old invented a fast, low-cost, on-the-spot heart disease test, and helped him to win one of 20 tickets to the Science Fair finals. Google global.

Inventing cheap heart disease detection device from printer

Instead of measuring cholesterol, tests of Sumathipala measure oxidized low- density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL), a biomarker that has a stronger relationship with cardiovascular disease.

' I envision placing important medical data in the hands of doctors and patients, thereby establishing the framework for the revolutionary medical personalization' - he wrote.

With the help of biology teacher, Sumathipala spent two years trying to build such a diagnostic system. In the end, he was able to use an inkjet printer to send enzymes on two previously developed Ox-LDL sensors . Paper sensors will indicate high or low enzyme levels, leading to conclusions about the disease.

Sumathipala estimates that paper-based and print-based sensors will reduce the price of tests to just $ 0.02, and the results can be taken immediately rather than waiting for more days.

Sumathipala is one of 22 outstanding teenagers who entered the Google Science Fair finals this year. Google will announce the best project in September. The winner will be awarded a 10-day trip to the Galapagos Islands and a $ 50,000 scholarship.

' The desire to help the people you love is a great inspiration. It does not appear in a moment of awareness of the brain or the flickering light of an imaginary light bulb, it is a constant and unlimited source of inspiration. That inspiration prompted me to persevere through the white nights in the lab, give me strength after countless failures, and prevent me from giving up my job. ' - Sumathipala said.