Coagulation Instrumentation Flashcards
Clot formation was determined by visual inspection of the plasma as the tube was tilted, and a stopwatch was used to determine the time to clot formation. This was referred to as the
Tilt-tube technique
The 1950s witnessed the dawn of the modern era of instru- mentation in coagulation testing with the development of the first coagulometer
BBL Fibrometer.
Subsequent 20th century developments in clot detectors in- cluded a
rolling steel ball and photo-optical measurements
Coagulation instruments apply clot detection principles that either
observe” the clot formation (optical and nephelometric devices)
detect the clot by “feel” (mechanical and viscosity- based devices).
detect a change in plasma optical density (OD; light transmittance) during the clotting process.
Photo-optical (turbidometric) coagulometers
Principle of photo optical
LIGHT TRANSMITTANCE
used to detect clot formation in the past is still used today in particular instruments for whole blood clotting.
viscoelastic technique
vital for assesing hemostasis
viscoelastic technique
Chromogenic (synthetic substrate, amidolytic) methodology uses a synthetic small peptide substrate conjugated to a chromo- phore, usually
para-nitroaniline (pNA).
means for measuring the activity of a specific coagulation fac- tor because it exploits the factor’s enzymatic (protease) proper- ties.
Chromogenic analysis
The activity of coagulation enzymes is measured by
direct or indirect chromogenic methods
a modification of photo-optical end-point detection in which 90-degree or forward-angle light scatter, rather than OD, is measured.
Nephelometry
and a photodetector detects variations in
light scatter at 90 degrees (side scatter)
180 degrees (forward-angle scatter)
be adapted to measure the dynamics or kinetics of clot formation.
Nephelometry
are the newest assays available for routine coagulation testing.
Immunologic assays
ASSAY END-POINT DETECTION PRINCIPLES
Mechanical Clot End-Point Detection
Photo-Optical Clot End-Point Detection
Viscoelastic Clot Detection
Nephelometric End-Point Detection
Immunologic Light Absorbance End-Point Detection
Chromogenic End-Point Detection
Tradi- tionally, PT assays required. (Reagent and specimen volume)
100 ul of patient plasma and 200 uL of thromboplastin/calcium chloride reagent
flexibility of selecting reagents that best suit their needs, and prefer not to be restricted in their choicesby the analyzer being used.
Open Reagent Systems