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Monitoring of blood coagulation with non‐contact drop oscillation rheometry
Author(s) -
Ansari Hosseinzadeh Vahideh,
Brugnara Carlo,
Emani Sirisha,
Khismatullin Damir,
Holt R. Glynn
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of thrombosis and haemostasis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.947
H-Index - 178
eISSN - 1538-7836
pISSN - 1538-7933
DOI - 10.1111/jth.14486
Subject(s) - rheometry , coagulation , drop (telecommunication) , medicine , materials science , composite material , rheology , engineering , mechanical engineering
Background Thromboelastography is widely used as a tool to assess the coagulation status of critical‐care patients. It allows observation of changes in the material properties of whole blood brought about by clot formation and clot lysis. However, contact activation of the coagulation cascade at surfaces of thromboelastographic systems leads to inherent variability and unreliability in predicting bleeding or thrombosis risks, while also requiring large sample volumes. Objectives To develop a non‐contact drop oscillation rheometry ( DOR ) method to measure the viscoelastic properties of blood clots and to compare the results with current laboratory standard measurements. Methods Drops of human blood and plasma (5‐10 μL) were acoustically levitated. Acoustic field modulation induced drop shape oscillations, and the viscoelastic properties of the sample were calculated by measuring the resonance frequency and damping ratio. Results DOR showed sensitivity to coagulation parameters. An increase in platelet count resulted in an increase in the maximum clot stiffness. An increase in the calcium ion level enhanced the coagulation rate prior to saturation. An increase in hematocrit resulted in a higher rate of clot formation and increased clot stiffness. Comparison of the results with those obtained with thromboelastography showed that coagulation started sooner with DOR , but with a lower rate and lower maximum stiffness. Conclusions DOR can be used as a monitoring tool to assess blood coagulation status. The advantages of small sample size, the lack of contact and small strain (linear viscoelasticity) makes this technique unique for real‐time monitoring of blood coagulation.