Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining the amount of procoagulant phospholipid in a sample, said method comprising steps (i) to (iii) performed in the following order: (i) forming an admixture of the sample and a substrate plasma which has been rendered free or substantially free of procoagulant phospholipid sufficient to at least reduce the capacity of the substrate plasma to coagulate, wherein said substrate plasma has been rendered free or substantially free of procoagulant phospholipid by treatment with a phospholipase; (ii) contacting the admixture with a reagent for activating coagulation of plasma in conditions were procoagulant phospholipids is the rate limiting component of the mixture; and (iii) determining the clotting time if the admixture.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining the amount of procoagulant phospholipid in a sample, said method comprising steps (i) to (iii) performed in the following order: (i) forming an admixture of the sample and a substrate plasma which has been rendered free or substantially free of procoagulant phospholipid sufficient to at least reduce the capacity of the substrate plasma to coagulate, wherein said substrate plasma has been rendered free or substantially free of procoagulant phospholipid by treatment with a phospholipase; (ii) contacting the admixture with a reagent for activating coagulation of plasma in conditions were procoagulant phospholipids is the rate limiting component of the mixture; and (iii) determining the clotting time of the admixture.

Abstract: A method of determining the coagulation potential of a plasma sample be pre-incubating the plasma sample with a reagent such that endogenous protein C in the plasma is at least partially converted into activated protein C by the reagent, adding factor Xa which is progressively inactivated by antithrombin III/heparin cofactor 2 during the preincubation, adding an exogenous reagent which activates factor X to Xa or prothrombin to thrombin in a factor V-dependent manner, monitoring a reaction indicative of the rate of coagulation of the plasma sample, comparing that rate of coagulation control, or the equivalent rate determined for an individual without impaired coagulation control, or the equivalent rate determined for the plasma sample in the absence of protein C activator, and determining the coagulation potential of the plasma sample from one or other of the compairsons.

Abstract: The method for determining functional activity of protein C in a human plasma sample includes incubating the human plasma sample with exogenous reagents that activate factor V and a common pathway of the blood coagulation mechanism through factor X, with activated exogenous protein C and with components that are necessary for efficient clotting of the human plasma sample, or incubating the human plasma sample with exogenous reagents that induce the presence of thrombin in a factor V dependent manner, with activated exogenous protein C and with components that are necessary for efficient clotting of the human plasma sample; monitoring a reaction indicative of a potential rate of coagulation of the plasma sample and comparing the resulting potential rate of coagulation with an equivalent rate for normal patient, or comparing the resulting potential rate of coagulation with an equivalent rate determined for the plasma sample in the absence of activated exogenous protein C; and determining the functional activity

Abstract: The method and apparatus are useful for determining a propensity of a blood sample to change from a liquid state to a coagulated state and additionally for measuring the propensity of a coagulated blood sample to lyse. The method includes providing a porous sheet, at least one surface of which contacts an impervious layer; applying the blood sample to an exposed surface of the porous sheet so that the blood sample spreads through a part of the porous sheet; and after the applying of the blood sample to the porous sheet, measuring at least one of a spreading extent and a spreading rate of the blood sample in the porous sheet by measuring either an optical property, an electrical conductivity across the porous sheet, an electrical potential across the porous sheet and an electrical resistance of the porous sheet to determine the propensity of the blood sample to coagulate. The porous sheet can also be impregnated with a clotting agent or a lytic agent to affect the clotting or lysing of the blood sample.