A continuous microfluidic viscometer is used to measure blood coagulation. The viscometer operates by flowing oil and blood into a cross section where droplets are generated. At a set pressure, the length of the droplets is inversely proportional to the viscosity of the blood sample being delivered. Because blood viscosity increases during coagulation as the blood changes from a liquid to a solid gel, the device allows to monitor coagulation by simply measuring the drop length. Experiments with swine blood were carried out in its native state and with the addition of coagulation activators and inhibitors. The microfluidic viscometer detected an earlier initiation of the coagulation process with the activator and a later initiation with the inhibitor compared to their corresponding controls. The results from the viscometer were also compared with the clinical method of thromboelastography (TEG), which was performed concurrently for the same samples. The time to initiation of coagulation in the microfluidic viscometer was correlated with the reaction time in TEG. Additionally, the total time for the measurement of clot strengthening in TEG correlated with the time for the maximum viscosity observed in the microfluidic viscometer. The microfluidic viscometer measured changes in viscosity due to coagulation faster than TEG detected the clot formation. The present viscometer is a simple technology that can be used to further study the entire coagulation process.

中文翻译：

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基于液滴的微流体粘度计，用于测量凝血。

连续微流体粘度计用于测量凝血。粘度计的工作原理是使油和血液流入产生液滴的横截面中。在设定压力下，液滴的长度与所输送的血液样本的粘度成反比。由于凝结过程中血液粘度会随着血液从液体变为固体凝胶而增加，因此该设备允许通过简单地测量液滴长度来监测凝结。猪血的实验是在其原始状态下进行的，并添加了凝血激活剂和抑制剂。与相应的对照相比，微流体粘度计检测到使用活化剂的凝血过程更早开始，而使用抑制剂的凝血过程更晚。还将粘度计的结果与血栓弹性成像（TEG）的临床方法进行了比较，该方法同时针对相同的样品进行。在微流体粘度计中开始凝结的时间与TEG中的反应时间相关。另外，TEG中凝块强化测量的总时间与微流体粘度计中观察到的最大粘度的时间相关。用微流体粘度计测量的由于凝结引起的粘度变化要比TEG检测到的凝块形成快。本粘度计是一项简单的技术，可用于进一步研究整个凝血过程。在微流体粘度计中开始凝结的时间与TEG中的反应时间相关。另外，TEG中凝块强化测量的总时间与微流体粘度计中观察到的最大粘度的时间相关。微流体粘度计测量的由于凝结引起的粘度变化要比TEG检测到的血凝块形成更快。本粘度计是一项简单的技术，可用于进一步研究整个凝血过程。在微流体粘度计中开始凝结的时间与TEG中的反应时间相关。另外，TEG中凝块强化测量的总时间与微流体粘度计中观察到的最大粘度的时间相关。用微流体粘度计测量的由于凝结引起的粘度变化要比TEG检测到的凝块形成快。本粘度计是一项简单的技术，可用于进一步研究整个凝血过程。