Fig. 1

Modified flow chambers for evaluating thrombogenicity of low-platelet samples. a Cross-sectional views of the T-TAS flow chamber are shown in the upper panel. The width (x) is 300 μm in all cases and the depth (z) is 80 μm, 60 μm, or 50 μm. The ceiling is coated with tissue factor (TF) and collagen, which are inducers of thrombus formation. Whole blood samples were perfused (10 μL/min) through the flow chamber until flow pressure reached 80 kilopascal (kPa) or for 30 min. Representative waveforms of flow pressure in a patient with thrombocytopenia are shown in the lower panel. Blue and red lines indicate waveforms before and after platelet (PLT) transfusion, respectively. b Representative images of thrombi formed in the assay (a) are shown. Platelets (green), fibrin/fibrinogen (red), and nuclei of leukocytes (blue) in the flow chambers (50-μm deep) were visualized with the All-in-One Fluorescence Microscope. The y-axis indicates the direction of blood flow. The scale bars in the upper and lower panels indicate 300 μm and 50 μm, respectively