Optical scattering coefficient measurement of blood plasma during clot formation

Objective: Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) is a very dangerous and common disease. While approximately 50% of VTE can be attributed to identifiable causes, the remaining half has no known origin and about 30% of this group show recurrence. Monitoring the kinetics of optical scattering properties of plasma during clot formation can provide information on clot structure, which seems to be a relevant parameter to identify patients at risk of recurrence. Approach: This study aims to compare a sensitive and quantitative optical method based on the scattering coefficient µs measurement, never previously explored in the context of VTE, to the conventional optical density (OD) measurement obtained by a spectrophotometer. Main results: The evolution of eight characteristic parameters, extracted from clot formation curve signatures, was studied as a function of plasma concentration. Significance: Scattering coefficient measurements are sensitive to plasma concentration in the sample, more reproductible, more precise and provide access to new information compared to OD measurements.