Label-free multimodal quantitative imaging flow assay for intrathrombus formation in vitro

Microfluidics in vitro assays recapitulate a blood vessel microenvironment using surface-immobilized agonists under biofluidic flows. However, these assays do not quantify intrathrombus mass and activities of adhesive platelets at the agonist margin and use fluorescence labeling, therefore limiting clinical translation potential. Here, we describe a label-free multimodal quantitative imaging flow assay that combines rotating optical coherent scattering microscopy and quantitative phase microscopy. The combined imaging platform enables real-time evaluation of membrane fluctuations of adhesive-only platelets and total intrathrombus mass under physiological flow rates in vitro. We call this multimodal quantitative imaging flow assay coherent optical scattering and phase interferometry (COSI). COSI records intrathrombus mass to picogram accuracy and shape changes to a platelet membrane with high spatial-temporal resolution (0.4 mu m/s) under physiological and pathophysiological fluid shear stress (1800 and 7500 s(-1)). With COSI, we generate an axial slice of 4 mu m from the coverslip surface, approximately equivalent to the thickness of a single platelet, which permits nanoscale quantification of membrane fluctuation (activity) of adhesive platelets during initial adhesion, spreading, and recruitment into a developing thrombus (mass). Under fluid shear, pretreatment with a broad range metalloproteinase inhibitor (250 mu M GM6001) blocked shedding of platelet adhesion receptors that shown elevated adhesive platelet activity at average of 42.1 mu m/s and minimal change in intrathrombus mass.

Automated summary

This study introduces a label-free multimodal quantitative imaging flow assay that can evaluate the process of blood clot formation in real time in vitro. The assay combines rotating optical coherent scattering microscopy and quantitative phase microscopy to accurately record changes in intrathrombus mass and platelet membrane shape, providing a new research tool for studying the mechanism of thrombus formation.