Abstract
Rapid, accurate, and comprehensive assessment of hemostasis is of great importance in many clinical settings. Key hematological indices routinely assessed in bleeding patients or patients at risk for bleeding are coagulation function, platelets, and hematocrit. Current clotting assays are limited to a partial analysis of hemostasis (individual faceted clotting elements), thereby providing an incomplete assessment of bleeding and thrombotic risks and status. Recently, we introduced a novel multiparameter approach using a carbon nanotube paper-composite (CPC) based capacitance sensor. We have shown that our technique can provide comprehensive information on coagulation function, platelet function or count, and hematocrit from a single assay within 30 min. Whole blood-based multiparameter hemostasis assessments were conducted using clinically relevant blood samples to demonstrate the clinical utility of the device for various hemostatic conditions including pathological conditions such as hemophilia and thrombocytopenia. Systematic comparisons with a commercial thromboelastography analyzer showed that our sensor was able to provide an accurate and reliable assessment of overall hemostatic function. Overall, this is a new biomedical device for convenient comprehensive evaluation of bleeding risks with attractive advantages, such as whole blood-based non-contact evaluation of multiple key clotting biomarkers, high accuracy, high sensitivity, and low cost.
Keywords
Thrombus, Clinical hematology, Coagulation function, Platelet, Hematocrit, Carbon nanotube-Paper Composite (CPC) capacitance sensor