Research Project: Electrothrombogram (ETG)
Research project between our lab and JSS-AHER with support from DST, to explore possibility of using electrical signals to map blood clot patterns for point of care use. Our lab developed the hardware/software systems necessary.

Background

This was one of the pure research projects we undertook along with JSS-AHER supported by DST. The project was to study whether blood clotting patterns can be detected in an easier way at Point of Care, using just a drop of blood by checking the electrical parameters of blood. (The current methods involve doing same with expensive lab equipment, which take hours to produce results).

Like any research project, the project is long running and data has to be collected and validated over hundred and thousands of samples, to be conclusive about the inferences.

We built multiple hardware and electrodes for both initial studies of the blood parameters electrically, and later refined the system based on findings.

Clinical Data Acquisition and Analysis Software

One of the best outcomes of this study was we were able to build a generic software framework that could help collect, analyze Clinical Trials data from the research across hundreds/thousands of sample. The GUI software could plot medical parameters in real time as it is captured in a graph. Same software could store data and pull out data based on patient criteria (age, gender, weight etc) and provide data for graphing and anlysis.

First Version of ETG device that collects data and logs
it into a PC, pictures show blood sample applied.

Electronic System developed for this research project.

Electronic System developed for this research project.

One of the type of electrodes developed as part of research

Another type of electrode developed for research

Electrode heating block to regulate temperature
to maintain process of coagulation.

Mounted with thermal management system to maintain
temperature using a control system

The Data acquisition software and analysis system that
captures data in real time, displays real time
graph, and stores data for later analysis
based on criteria.

Blood sample of volunteers being drawn for testing
Different stages of suction in capillary and clotting.

The hardware had an ARM-32 bit controller, while the software part on PC had a Real time data acquisiton and display and storage system along with the patient's basic information.

Data captured from a test would be stored in a database in this project as well as plotted in real time in the GUI software. Later this data can be compared with other data, even exported to an Excel sheet, or bulk exported to an Excel sheet based on criteria.

The software was specially designed for conducting clinical trials in medical research projects and could easily be extended to other medical research project eata management as well.

Much later, after this project a similar software system was developed for another customer to log and analyze neural health and progrsssion in patients over time with a similar data collection and analysis software developed by us!

Salient Features: