Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) has placed an order for Labmedics' Chrono-log 700 platelet aggregometer, used for the clinical detection of haemostatic and platelet abnormalities.
The Chrono-log 700 Whole Blood and PRP Lumi-Aggregometer, installed in the coagulation section of the Department of Haematology, uses optical and impedance assays while measuring ATP release by the luminescence method.
The aggregometer measures platelet dysfunction, such as von Willebrand disease, secretion defects, storage-pool deficiency, membrane-receptor defects and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.
The system helps to identify patients at risk of thrombosis or bleeding, select patients for anti-platelet therapy, and monitor dosage and response.
Doreen Shanks, chief biomedical scientist at MRI, said: 'We wanted more flexibility so that we could perform platelet aggregations and ristocetin cofactors on different patients at the same time, especially in emergency situations.
'With one analyser we sometimes have to delay urgent ristocetins when we are doing platelet aggregations.
'By developing the whole blood aggregation facility, as little as 5ml of citrated whole blood would be required to complete a full aggregation profile.
This means less stress on the patients, particularly babies and infants.
She added: 'Traditional testing, using platelet-rich plasma, involves time-consuming centrifugation.
Sample handling risks affecting the sample integrity and may give erroneous results.
'The results of whole blood aggregation are available in a much shorter time as there are no centrifugation steps.
There is also less risk of erroneous results.
'Since the analyser tests whole blood, replicating the conditions within the body, the results are accurate and unequivocal.' The simultaneous measurement of aggregation with a secretion study improves analysis speeds and reduces the cost of platelet function testing.
Chrono-log is available in a two- or four-channel configuration.
It has an integrated computer interface, single-push button controls and can be used with disposable and reusable impedance electrodes.
The system has luminescence on all channels.
