| abstract |
The invention is a method, reagent and test cartridge for the determination of the clotting time of a blood sample by means of a reagent containing tissue factor and a sulfatide. In an alternative embodiment, the reagent may contain tissue factor and at least one of the group consisting of a phosphatide and a sulfatide. This invention is preferably used to monitor the effectiveness of heparin therapy in patients that have been administered low to moderate heparin doses to achieve blood heparin levels from 0 to about 3 U/mL, and may also be used for determining clotting time at higher heparin levels of up to about 6 U/mL. |