Abstract
Studying the dynamics of fibrin clot formation and its morphology is an important problem in biology and has significant impact for several scientific and clinical applications. We present a label-free technique based on quantitative phase imaging to address this problem. Using quantitative phase information, we characterized fibrin polymerization in real-time and present a mathematical model describing the transition from liquid to gel state. By exploiting the inherent optical sectioning capability of our instrument, we measured the three-dimensional structure of the fibrin clot. From this data, we evaluated the fractal nature of the fibrin network and extracted the fractal dimension. Our non-invasive and speckle-free approach analyzes the clotting process without the need for external contrast agents.
Highlights
Fibrin is a biopolymer that constitutes the structural basis of the hemostatic plug, which prevents excessive blood loss upon vascular injury [1,2]
Studying the dynamics of fibrin clot formation and its associated morphology is of great basic science and clinical significance
spatial light interference microscopy (SLIM) significantly reduces the speckle noise because of the broadband illumination. These features enable the assessment of dynamics of fibrin clot formation with high sensitivity
Summary
Fibrin is a biopolymer that constitutes the structural basis of the hemostatic plug, which prevents excessive blood loss upon vascular injury [1,2]. A three-dimensional network or gel is formed, which comprises of entangled, branching fibrin fibers and binds the platelets to stop bleeding. This mesh anchors the neutrophils, macrophages, and fibroblasts to remove dead tissues and infectious agents during wound repair [4,5]. The fibrin structure has been associated with vascular disease [6], stroke [7], diabetes [8], and thromboembolic disorders [9,10]. Studying the dynamics of fibrin clot formation and its associated morphology is of great basic science and clinical significance
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