Polymethyl Methacrylate-Based Smart Microfluidic Point-of-Care Testing of Prothrombin Time and International Normalized Ratio through Optical Detection.

Enas W Abdulhay,Yahia M Karain,Nourshan M Ebeid,M Thilagaraj,Gustavo Ramirez-Gonzalez,N Arunkumar,Ruba E Khnouf,Tamara H Al Muhtaseb,Taqwa K Al Omari,Deepika Koundal

doi:10.1155/2022/5975228

Abstract

The mechanical heart valve is a crucial solution for many patients. However, it cannot function on the state of blood as human tissue valves. Thus, people with mechanical valves are put under anticoagulant therapy. A good measurement of the state of blood and how long it takes blood to form clots is the prothrombin time (PT); moreover, it is an indicator of how well the anticoagulant therapy is, and of whether the response of the patient to the drug is as needed. For a more specific standardized measurement of coagulation time, an international normalized ratio (INR) is established. Clinical testing of INR and PT is relatively easy. However, it requires the patient to visit the clinic for evaluation purposes. Many techniques are therefore being developed to provide PT and INR self-testing devices. Unfortunately, those solutions are either inaccurate, complex, or expensive. The present work approaches the design of an anticoagulation self-monitoring device that is easy to use, accurate, and relatively inexpensive. Hence, a two-channel polymethyl methacrylate-based microfluidic point-of-care (POC) smart device has been developed. The Arduino based lab-on-a-chip device applies optical properties to a small amount of blood. The achieved accuracy is 96.7%.

Highlights

IntroductionBlood exists in the human body in the form of liquid
The perfect running time is found to be 42 seconds; it gives a range of international normalized ratio (INR) between 1.8 and 3.8 which covers both the regions of INR for patients with a mechanical mitral valve (2.5-3.5), and for patients with mechanical aortic valves (23)
The running times in the range 35-45 seconds were tested, and the best running time (42 s) was selected based on the least drifting and the best stability of values—compared to those measured in hospital approved laboratory—in the targeted INR ranges

Summary

Introduction

Blood exists in the human body in the form of liquid. The process by which this liquid turns into a gel results in a clot and is called coagulation or clotting. The formation of a clot may result in the repair of a damaged vessel through endothelial cells, platelets, fibrin, and plasma factors among which are the prothrombin and thrombin. Forming a clot depends on vitamin K which activates different factors and proteins. Hemorrhage and thrombosis are diseases resulting from disorders of coagulation and leading to myocardial infarction or pulmonary embolism [1–4]. Anticoagulants (e.g., vitamin K antagonists, warfarin or heparin) are used to treat and prevent blood clots

Methods

Results

Conclusion