Akash Manoj is a 15-year-old student from Tamil Nadu who has developed a technique that can potentially save millions of lives in the future.
The young man, who studies in class 10, has come up with a method that will help predict silent heart attacks.
This non-invasive technique will especially help those in rural areas, who may not have access to round-the-clock modern medical facilities.
For his innovation, Akash is currently at the Rashtrapati Bhavan under the Innovation Scholars In-Residence Programme as a guest of the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee.
Askash became determined to fight silent heart attacks after his grandfather himself became victim to one. He has been quoted by the Business Standard as saying, “Silent heart attacks are extremely deadly and alarmingly common these days. In these cases, almost no symptoms are evident and thus people look so healthy to us.”
Since the technique is non-invasive, Akash notes that people, especially those in rural areas, can use it themselves to check if they run the risk of getting a heart attack. Through the kit, one can analyse the FABP3, which is the smallest proteins present in the blood. When UV light is passed through FABP3m one will be able to detect the amount of protein based on how much light is absorbed.
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It is perhaps no surprise that when he grows older, Akash nurses the ambition of becoming a cardiologist and continuing his quest of saving lives!
Update: Since 2017, Akash Manoj has went on to win the Samvid Education Foundation Award at the 2018 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world’s largest pre-collegiate science fair. Akash has also been conferred with the National Child Award For Exceptional Achievement by President Ram Nath Kovind.
Akash is now planning to launch his innovation via his startup, which he hopes to initiate soon. Manoj wants the government to promote his invention and not any private industry.
Here’s a video of Akash delivering a TED talk on his innovation in Mumbai, February of 2018.
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