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A novel ultrasonic method for evaluation of blood clotting parameters

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Abstract

Purpose

For long time, blood clot retraction was measured only by thromboelastographic or platelet contractile force measurement techniques. The purpose of the present study was development of a novel ultrasonic method based on simultaneous monitoring of variations in the ultrasound velocity and the frequency spectrum of the signal propagating in clotting blood and its application for automatic evaluation of blood clotting parameters.

Methods

Simultaneous measurement of ultrasound velocity and variations in the frequency spectrum of wideband ultrasonic signals in clotting blood samples was performed. All measurements were performed in pulse-echo mode. Standard clinical data were obtained using routine clinical laboratory methods.

Results

The amplitudes of ultrasonic signals during native blood coagulation varied up to ten times for different frequencies. The measurement results of the start and duration of blood clot retraction differed between patient samples: different components of the blood coagulation system had significant impact on the blood clot retraction process.

Conclusions

Our results showed that during blood clotting, the ultrasound velocity and variations in frequency spectrum should be used simultaneously to determine the beginning and duration of blood clot retraction. Our results also showed that blood clot retraction is controlled by the activity of factor XIII.

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Acknowledgements

These studies were funded by grants UKOAG and UKOAGII from joint funds of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences and Kaunas University of Technology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, Institute of Cardiology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Sukileliu 15, 50009, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Vacis Tatarunas & Vaiva Lesauskaite

  2. Ultrasound Institute, Kaunas University of Technology, K. Baršausko g. 59, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Algirdas Voleisis, Reimondas Sliteris, Rymantas Kazys & Liudas Mazeika

Authors
  1. Vacis Tatarunas
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  2. Algirdas Voleisis
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  3. Reimondas Sliteris
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  4. Rymantas Kazys
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  5. Liudas Mazeika
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  6. Vaiva Lesauskaite
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vacis Tatarunas.

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Ethical statement

All the procedures used have been reviewed in compliance with ethical standards of the Regional Bioethics Committee of Kaunas, Lithuania on May 12, 2014 (the permission number is BE-2-25), and the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki on Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Tatarunas, V., Voleisis, A., Sliteris, R. et al. A novel ultrasonic method for evaluation of blood clotting parameters. J Med Ultrasonics 45, 545–553 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-018-0874-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-018-0874-1

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