Abstract: This disclosure relates to systems and methods for the observation and/or measurement of clot formation and/or contraction. The system includes reaction chambers arranged with an image capturing device to allow for quantification of clot side-view cross-sectional area over time to determine the kinetics of clot formation and/or contraction. By varying the cellular materials and test agents included in the reaction chambers, it is possible to determine the effect of any particular component may yield on clot contraction. The system provides low-cost set-up, robust software, and multi-sample capacity, thus is a sensitive and flexible system to be used as a “workhorse” tool in a regular laboratory setting for better understanding the molecular features of how platelets mediate clot contraction, with the potential for clinical usages and/or medium throughput laboratory testing and drug screens.