2010 Investigation of Prothrombin Time in Human Whole Blood Samples with a Quarz Crystal Biosensor

Authors: Müller L, Sinn S, Drechsel H, Ziegler C, Wendel H-P, Northoff H, Gehring FK

Journal:  82(2):658-63. doi: 10.1021/ac9021117

Institutes:

Biosensor Research Group, Institute of Clinical and Experimental Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital of Tübingen, Germany

Abstract: Monitoring of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis is an important issue in treatment of patients with cardiovascular problems and in surgery when bloodgets into contact with artificial surfaces. In this work a new method for measuring the coagulation time (prothrombin time, PT) of human whole-bloodsamples based on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) biosensor is presented. The 10 MHz sensors used in this work respond with a frequency shift to changes in viscosity during blood clot formation. For driving and for readout of the quartz, both a network analyzer and an oscillator circuit were utilized. The sensor surfaces were specifically coated with a thin polyethylene layer. We found that both frequency analysis methods are suitable to measure exact prothrombin times in a very good conformity with a mechanical coagulometer as a reference. The anticoagulant effect of heparin on the prothrombin time was exemplarily shown as well as the reverse effect of the heparin antagonist polybrene. The change of the viscoelastic properties during blood coagulation, reflected by the ratio of frequency and dissipation shifts, is discussed for different dilutions of thewhole-blood samples. In conclusion, QCM is a distinguished biosensor technique to determine prothrombin time and to monitor heparin therapy inwhole-blood samples. Due to the excellent potential of miniaturization and the availability of direct digital signals, the method is predestinated for incorporation and integration into other devices and is thus opening the field of application for inline coagulation diagnostic in extracorporeal bloodcircuits.