Feasibility of Recording Clot Lysis with the Thermometric Clot Detector

We investigated the possibility of continuously recording the process of clot lysis with a thermometric clot detec-tor. Experiments in which fibrinolytic activators and in-hibitors were used demonstrate that the detection sys-tem, without any mechanical modifications, is suitable for monitoring the complete coagulation process from clot formation to the ultimate lysis of the clot itself. Additional Keyphrases: fibrinolysis #{149}streptokinase thera-py #{149}clot lysis inhibition #{149}thermistor Currently, the study of fibrinolysis is beset by problems of methodology (1). Disadvantages of many of the present methods for measurement of clot lysis-including lysis time for the dilute blood clot, throm-boelastography, euglobulin clot lysis, fibrin plate method, and caseinolytic assay (1)-are imprecision of results and time required to perform the test (2). The electromechanical lysis timer of Folus and Kra-mer (2) appears to be the only readily automated de-vice, but so far it has not proven entirely satisfactory for measuring lysis time (3). Among the continuous-recording devices, the thromboelastograph reported-ly indicates fibrinolysis (4); however, it is expensive and insufficiently sensitive (4). In this communication, we report the feasibility of using a thermometric clot timer (5, 6) to study fibri-nolysis