title: Design of a laminar flow chamber to study platelet aggregation.
abstract: The growing importance of the utilization of artificial materials in cardiovascular surgery makes it necessary to know their thrombogenic capacity. Our flow chamber, which is constructed of methacrylate, is capable of providing a laminar flow. The chamber itself consists of the trunks of two cones, one for the inflow and the other for the outflow, which are joined at their widest point to the ends of a cylinder of the same diameter. In the interior of the cylinder, which constitutes the central part of the system, are placed three rectangular fragments of the material to be studied. The vertices of the trunks of the cones allow the coupling of two flexible siliconized tubes in such a way that the system can be utilized in an "ex vivo' experimental model, constituting a bridge between the femoral artery and the right atrium of a large experimental animal, as well as in vitro, coupled to a continuous perfusion pump. The advantages provided by this system are that: (a) three materials can be studied simultaneously in an identical situation, (b) it is possible to submit these materials to conditions similar to those that give rise to platelet thrombi, and (c) it is possible to quantify the aggregation on each material by labelling the platelets with 111In-oxine.
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000032:analysis; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000502:physiology; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D004780:Environment, Controlled; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D011868:Radioisotopes
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011868:Radioisotopes