Modelling of blood component flexibility using quartz crystal microbalance

Abstract

Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is widely used for the investigation of human blood mechanical properties, and shows high sensitivity for monitoring select dynamic processes, including red blood cell sedimentation and aggregation, coagulation, plasma protein absorption, as well as evaluating the bio-compatibility/affinity of different materials, etc. The present study provides a critical analysis of the challenges associated with data modelling and data interpretation, with respect to a QCM-based experimental setup. Here, the modelling approach selected for use is based on the analysis of the interactions that occur between an oscillating QCM surface and different blood components adhering to the surface. The resultant mathematical model overcomes these challenges by presenting simple, interpretable output parameters for monitoring experimental erythrocyte sedimentation in whole blood (WB), platelet aggregation in platelet rich plasma (PRP) and fibrin polymerisation in platelet poor plasma (PPP).

Micro-electromechanical film bulk acoustic sensor for plasma and whole blood coagulation monitoring

“…-17 -2016). This behavior is in accordance with the fact that the fibrin fibers grow thicker and longer as the increase of coagulation time (Efremov et al 2014). At a constant fibrinogen concentration, the activator concentration determines the number of nucleation sites.…”

“…The fiber formation from fewer nucleation sites leads to fewer, but thicker, rigid and longer fibers at the low activator concentration (Blombäck et al 1994). In contrast, the rapid coagulation process, at high activator concentration, leads to many thin and small fibrin fibers that expose a relative larger area to the surrounding liquid and thus are considered more flexible (Efremov et al 2014). As a consequence, the low-density network results in a less frequency shift at the high TP concentration as shown in Fig.…”

Measurement of the viscoelastic properties of blood plasma clot formation in response to tissue factor concentration-dependent activation

“…In previous work [ 11 , 12 ], the effect of fibrinogen concentration on qualitative and quantitative viscoelastic changes during clot formation activated using a partial thromboplastin has been shown using QCM. In addition to measuring the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), this method allowed the quantitative characterisation of fibrinogen concentrations as well as a qualitative characterisation of the properties of the forming clot in a single test [ 18 ], which usually requires two independent tests. Hussain et al [ 17 , 19 ] later reported a similar use of QCM in measuring clotting using the same aPTT assay for different fibrinogen concentrations.…”

“…An unloaded (in-air) QCM sensor is typically characterised by a high quality factor with a resonant frequency ( f air ) ≈5 MHz and half bandwidth ( Γ air ) ≤30 Hz. In this article, the mechanical properties of a TF-activated plasma sample loaded on the sensor were investigated with a mathematical model developed [ 18 ] by means of an effective elasticity ( μ t ),effective mass density ( M t ) and resulting rigidity factor (RF) calculated using the shifts of resonance peak characteristics, Δ f and Δ Г , with respect to their “in-air” values. Briefly, QCM is used to investigate the effect of TF activation for coagulation and show that the developed model relates differences in TF concentration to changes in the qualitative nature of the formed clot.…”

Blood Coagulation Testing Smartphone Platform Using Quartz Crystal Microbalance Dissipation Method

“…QCM is a kind of acoustic sensors which has been widely used [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ], frequency and dissipation are the two major properties which can be measured and traced. Frequency shift reflects the change of mass loaded on the sensor [ 20 , 21 , 22 ], while the dissipation factor gives viscoelastic information of the attached layer oscillating with QCM [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ].…”