ARTICLE
This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2013Lab Chip, 2014, 00, 1-3 | 1 and Prothrombin Time (PT)). The system has a reader unit and a disposable cartridge. The reader has no electrical connections to the cartridge. This enables simple and low-cost cartridge designs and avoids reliability problems associated with the electrical connections. The cartridge consists of microfluidic channels and MEMS microcantilevers placed in each channel. Microcantilevers are made of electro-plated nickel. They are actuated remotely using an external electro-coil and the read-out is also conducted remotely by a laser. The phase difference between the cantilever oscillation and the coil drive is monitored in real-time. During coagulation, the viscosity of the blood plasma increases resulting in a change in phase read-out. The proposed assay was tested with human and control plasma samples for PT and aPTT measurements. PT and aPTT measurements with using control plasmas are comparable with manufacturer's data sheet and commercial reference device. The measurement system has an overall 7.28 % and 6.33 % CV for PT and aPTT, respectively. For further implementation, the microfluidic channels of the cartridge are functionalized for PT and aPTT tests by drying specific reagents in each channel. Since the simultaneous PT and aPTT measurements are needed in order to properly evaluate the coagulation system, one of the most prominent features of the proposed assay is the enabling parallel measurement of different coagulation parameters. Additionally, the design of the cartridge and the read out system, the obtained reproducible results with 10 µl plasma samples suggesting an opportunity of a possible Point-of -Care application.