Coagulation and Platelet Sensing

Our laboratory has developed a low-cost, multi-functional blood coagulation sensor that can measure a patient's coagulation status within minutes using just one drop of blood. This hand-held sensor can identify and manage patients with a high risk of life-threatening bleeding or hemorrhage, which is one of the major causes of preventable in-hospital deaths. It also allows for rapid coagulation testing in the home or primary care setting for over 15 million patients worldwide who receive oral anticoagulants to prevent thrombosis, the leading cause of death worldwide. Our coagulation sensor combines the strengths of a low-cost, hand-held module with the ability to diagnose the underlying coagulation defect within a fraction of the time and cost of conventional coagulation tests. Our approach, Optical Thromboelastography (OTEG) or iCoagLAB, uses a disposable cartridge and laser speckle intensity fluctuations to analyze blood viscoelastic properties during coagulation and recover information about multiple coagulation metrics. OTEG's comprehensive coagulation profiling capabilities at the bedside can improve patient outcomes by identifying high-risk patients, tailoring blood transfusion and anti-coagulation protocols, and monitoring hemostasis during therapy.

Laser speckle patterns and the corresponding changes in clot stiffness are measured in three patients with normal, low, and high fibrinogen. The capability to form stable fibrin clots depends in part on the amount of fibrinogen, a soluble protein in plasma. Therefore, low levels of fibrinogen impair clot stiffness and is potentially a risk factor for severe bleeding. In contrast, patients with high serum fibrinogen have stiffer clots, that likely contribute to thrombotic events.

Running coagulation experiment via iCoagLAB

Photograph of the hand-held sensor, compatible with a Window surface tablet for real-time coagulation profiling in (A) with the corresponding CAD diagram of the optical and mechanical device configuration. The sensor uses a diode laser (DL) to illuminate the sample and a high-speed camera CMOS camera to collect speckle patterns during coagulation. Inexpensive test cartridges are fabricated by laser cutting a silicone base with a transparent film overlay to sample a drop of whole blood.

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