Light Scattering Analysis on Coagulation Detection with Magnetic Particles

Clotting properties of human blood are important clinical information to monitor for patients with platelet and coagulation disorders. Most devices used to diagnose these disorders utilize blood plasma together with tissue factors and $Ca^{{+}{+}}$ additives. In some instruments, magnetic particles were mixed with blood samples and a rotating magnetic field was applied, resulting in the rotation of magnetic particles, which was probed by impinging light. The working principle seems obvious yet had not been investigated in depth. We modeled the collective behavior of light propagating through magnetic needles, aligned in the direction of the rotating external magnetic field, with scattering light analysis software. Simulation results indicated that the scattering pattern undergoes periodic undulations with respect to the slant angle of the magnetic needles. Also provided is a means of extracting meaningful information from the scattering measurement.