Miniature ‘bleeding’ device eases study of clotting disorders
Biomedical engineers have developed a miniature self-sealing model system for studying bleeding and the clotting of wounds. The researchers envision the device as a drug discovery platform and potential diagnostic tool.
A description of the system, and representative movies, are scheduled for publication in Nature Communications.
Lead author Wilbur Lam, MD, PhD says that blood clotting involves the damaged blood vessel, platelets, blood clotting proteins that form a net-like mesh, and the flow of the blood itself.
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Watch as blood cells stream through a "wound" and a clot forms. The red-stained cells are actually white blood cells. A green extracellular glue can be seen at the top of the wound; this is fibrin, which holds the clot together.