Poster V20 - Development of a multiplexed microfluidic device to assess blood coagulation status

Introduction: COVID-19 remains a global health challenge, and many patients develop cardiovascular abnormalities including thrombosis. Consequently, the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis recommends frequent monitoring of coagulation status in patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Although the precise etiology of such coagulopathies in COVID-19 is not clear, damage to lung tissue, increased cytokine levels and alteration of blood chemistry due to inflammation and sepsis all likely contribute. The resulting inappropriate hemostasis is a major challenge in the care of these patients. Importantly, the coagulation profile of a COVID-19 patient – and consequently the appropriate medical treatment – might change from hour to hour. Because asymptomatic patients can develop life-threatening coagulopathy-related thrombotic events, robust, frequent and inexpensive tests for blood coagulation aberrations would help guide treatment. Current methods for clinical assessment of coagulation status are cumbersome, expensive and limited in scope. As such there is an urgent need to better characterize COVID-19-specific coagulopathies and understand their dynamics. Point of care tests are needed to accurately analyze the coagulation state of a blood sample, thereby assessing a patient’s clinical hemostasis condition and allowing clinicians to rapidly diagnose and treat specific elements of coagulopathy.

Materials and

Methods: We have developed a new device for diagnosing coagulopathies that can be used for COVID-19 and other clinical applications where robust and repeated measurements of blood coagulation status are needed. The device is multiplexed, combining many of the existing tests into one assay, and is biomimetic – i.e. the flow of blood through channels recapitulates the blood flow in vivo. The assay is self-contained and disposable, so minimizes the risk of exposure to infected blood or aerosols.

Results, Conclusions, and Discussions: o Results
The blood is allowed to enter multiple parallel channels driven by a vacuum-induced pressure drop across the device. Coagulation increases viscosity and flow resistance in the channels, affecting the distance traveled in each channel, and the channels are coated with different substances that activate or inhibit coagulation pathways (Fig.1). The design of the coagulation microfluidic device, fabrication and loading the device with multiple coagulation factors, and set-up of a whole blood test are shown in Figs. 1 A, B and C, respectively.
o Discussion
This new, multiplexed microfluidic device is designed to assess blood coagulation status, particularly relevant in conditions like COVID-19 where coagulopathies are common. The device combines multiple tests into one, mimicking natural blood flow and ensuring safety with disposable components. Results show its feasibility and potential to complement existing assays, offering a versatile tool for clinical use in trauma, emergencies, and transfusions.

o Conclusions
Leveraging our expertise in blood coagulopathy and microfluidics technology, we are developing and testing technology for improving the diagnosis of blood coagulation status. The device uses biomimetic principles, flowing blood through vascular-like channels that are pre-treated with specific coagulation factors. In addition to diagnosing COVID-19-related coagulopathies, the technology will be invaluable in other clinical applications such as trauma surgery, emergency procedures and other applications where patients can experience shock or require transfusion.

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