Method for hemostasis testing

摘要

A sample testing cartridge is usable to perform a variety of tests on a visco-elastic sample, such hemostasis testing on a whole blood or blood component sample. The cartridge includes a sample processing portion that is in fluid communication with a sample retention structure. A suspension, such as a beam, arm, cantilever or similar structure supports or suspends the sample retention portion relative to the sample processing portion in a unitary structure. In this manner, the sample retention portion may be placed into dynamic excitation responsive to excitation of the cartridge and correspondingly dynamic, resonant excitation of the sample contained within the sample retention portion, while the sample processing portion remains fixed. Observation of the excited sample yields data indicative of hemostasis. The data may correspond to hemostasis parameters such as time to initial clot formation, rate of clot formation, maximum clot strength and degree of clot lysis.

主权项

1. A method of testing blood hemostasis comprising:
introducing a blood sample into a fluid processing structure, the fluid processing structure having a portion containing a reagent; processing at least a portion of the blood sample within the fluid processing structure by contacting the portion with the reagent; communicating the processed portion to a sample retention structure portion of the fluid processing structure; and testing the processed portion by: exciting to resonant excitation the processed portion within the sample retention structure portion and measuring the the processed portion at resonant excitation to obtain data, the data being indicative of at least one hemostasis parameter.