Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the total clotting activity of a blood or plasma sample, characterized in that a highly specific, reversible thrombin inhibitor is added to a blood or plasma sample in a defined amount, the clotting of the blood or plasma sample is induced and, after a defined period of time, the consumed amount of the added thrombin inhibitor is determined in a per se known manner, as well as to a kit for obtaining information about the state of coagulation of a blood sample.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a simple process for the modification of the specificity of a peptidase of the hemostatic system by coupling polymers to the peptidase causing it to lose its reactivity in the hemostatic system, but enabling it to continue to react with certain inhibitors, effectors and substrates. The invention is furthermore directed to processes for the detection or quantitative determination of inhibitors of the peptidase in bodily fluids or other samples as well as to processes for their neutralization and/or removal from liquids. Finally, the invention allows the use of a polymer-coupled peptidase as drug and furthermore provides a device which makes use of such a peptidase in the removal of peptidase inhibitors from samples or from the bloodstream of a patient.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the concentration of thrombin inhibitors in a non-turbid body liquid or a non-turbid extract from a body liquid. It comprises the following steps. The body liquid is taken from a living body, and the body liquid is subjected to a separation from the turbid matter, if necessary. To the non-turbid body liquid thus obtained are added a coagulation-inhibiting substance not interfering in the transformation prothrombin/active meizothrombin or Mtdesfg1, resp., a chromogenic or fluorogenic substrate not dissociable by active meizothrombin or Mtdesfg1, resp., and a substance dissociating prothrombin into meizothrombin or Mtdesfg1, resp., and as an option prothrombin. The thus obtained solution or mixture, resp., is subjected to a wavelength-selective light absorption or light emission measurement as a function of the time.

Abstract: The invention relates to measuring of the adhesion of platelets ex vivo. In this method, monodisperse polymer particles are added to blood, and the number of platelets in the blood are measured before and after shaking of the sample. The level of adhesion of the platelets is determined by comparing the number of platelets prior to shaking with the number of platelets after shaking. Methods of establishing an adhesion index and diagnosis of a patient are also provided.