Method and device for monitoring inhibition of platelet function

1. A method of monitoring inhibition of platelet function for an individual mammal comprising:

determining a standard value for a particular mammal by:

collecting platelet-containing standard blood in an amount of less than 100 μl from the particular mammal,

mixing the standard blood with a platelet agonist to generate agonist-activated standard blood, and

monitoring an extracellular platelet-release-reaction product in the agonist-activated standard blood to generate the standard value for the particular mammal; wherein the standard blood is not treated with a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, and wherein the extracellular platelet-release-reaction product is ATP;

treating the particular mammal with the cyclooxygenase inhibitor after the collecting of the standard blood;

collecting platelet-containing mammalian blood from the particular mammal after the particular mammal has been treated with the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, wherein less than 100 μl of treated blood is collected from the particular mammal;

mixing the collected treated blood with the platelet agonist to generate agonist-activated treated blood;

monitoring the extracellular platelet-release-reaction product in the agonist-activated treated blood to generate a measurement value; and

comparing the measurement value to the standard value for the particular mammal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cyclooxygenase inhibitor is a cyclooxygenase-1 inhibitor that includes aspirin.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the platelet agonist includes is arachidonic acid.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the platelet agonist is a phospholipase A 2 activator.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring of the extracellular platelet-release-reaction product in the agonist-activated treated blood comprises:

adding to the agonist-activated treated blood an ATP-consuming enzyme that catalyzes a reaction and a substrate; and

monitoring the enzyme-catalyzed reaction;

wherein monitoring the enzyme-catalyzed reaction comprises monitoring light produced by the reaction,

wherein the enzyme is luciferase, and

wherein the substrate is luciferin.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the luciferin and luciferase are added to the treated blood before the treated blood is mixed with the platelet agonist.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the luciferin and luciferase are added to the treated blood after the treated blood is mixed with the platelet agonist.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein less than 10 μl of the platelet-containing treated blood is collected from the particular mammal.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the platelet-containing treated blood is whole blood.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein less than 100 μl of whole blood is mixed with the platelet agonist.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein less than 10 μl of whole blood is mixed with the platelet agonist.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising diluting the treated blood, wherein the monitoring of the extracellular platelet-release-reaction product comprises:

adding luciferin and luciferase to the treated diluted blood; and

monitoring light produced by the luciferase.

13. The method of claim 12 ,

wherein the determining of the standard value further includes:

diluting the collected standard blood; and

monitoring the production of extracellular ATP of the standard blood,

wherein the monitoring of the extracellular ATP of the standard blood comprises

(a) adding luciferin and luciferase to the diluted standard blood, and

(b) monitoring light produced by the luciferase.

14. A method of monitoring inhibition of platelet function for an individual mammal comprising:

determining a standard value for a particular mammal by:

collecting platelet-containing standard blood in an amount of less than 100 μl from the particular mammal,

mixing the standard blood with a platelet agonist to generate agonist-activated standard blood, and

monitoring an extracellular platelet-release-reaction product in the agonist-activated standard blood to generate the standard value for the particular mammal; wherein the standard blood is not treated with a platelet-function inhibitor, and wherein the extracellular platelet-release-reaction product is ATP;

treating the particular mammal with the platelet-function inhibitor after the collecting of the standard blood;

collecting platelet-containing mammalian blood from the particular mammal after the particular mammal has been treated with the platelet-function inhibitor, wherein less than 100 μl of treated blood is collected from the particular mammal;

mixing the treated blood with the platelet agonist to generate agonist-activated treated blood;

monitoring the extracellular platelet-release-reaction product in the agonist-activated treated blood to generate a measurement; and

comparing the measurement to the standard value for the particular mammal.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the platelet-function inhibitor is a cyclooxygenase-1 inhibitor that includes aspirin, and wherein the platelet agonist is arachidonic acid.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the platelet-function inhibitor is a cyclooxygenase-1 inhibitor that includes aspirin, and wherein the platelet agonist is a phospholipase A 2 activator.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the monitoring of the extracellular platelet-release-reaction product in the agonist-activated treated blood comprises:

adding to the agonist-activated treated blood an ATP-consuming enzyme that catalyzes a reaction and a substrate; and

monitoring the enzyme-catalyzed reaction;

wherein monitoring the enzyme-catalyzed reaction comprises monitoring a product light produced by the reaction,

wherein the enzyme is luciferase, and

wherein the substrate is luciferin.

18. A method of monitoring inhibition of platelet function for an individual mammal comprising:

determining a standard value for a particular mammal by:

collecting platelet-containing standard blood in an amount of less than 100 μl from the particular mammal, separating platelets from other cellular components of the standard blood;

mixing the platelets with a platelet agonist to generate agonist-activated platelets, and

monitoring an extracellular platelet-release-reaction product in the agonist-activated platelets to generate the standard value for the particular mammal; wherein the platelets are not treated with a platelet-function inhibitor, and wherein the extracellular platelet-release-reaction product is ATP;

treating the particular mammal with the platelet-function inhibitor after the collecting of the standard blood;

collecting platelet-containing mammalian blood from the particular mammal after the particular mammal has been treated with the platelet-function inhibitor, wherein less than 100 μl of treated blood is collected from the particular mammal;

separating treated platelets from other cellular components of the treated blood;

mixing the treated platelets with the platelet agonist to generate agonist-activated treated platelets;

monitoring the extracellular platelet-release-reaction product in the agonist-activated treated platelets to generate a measurement; and

comparing the measurement to the standard value for the particular mammal.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the platelet-function inhibitor is a cyclooxygenase-1 inhibitor that includes aspirin, and wherein the platelet agonist is arachidonic acid.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the monitoring of the extracellular platelet-release-reaction product in the agonist-activated treated platelets comprises:

adding to the agonist-activated treated platelets an ATP-consuming enzyme that catalyzes a reaction and a substrate; and

monitoring the enzyme-catalyzed reaction;

wherein monitoring the enzyme-catalyzed reaction comprises monitoring light produced by the reaction,

wherein the enzyme is luciferase, and

wherein the substrate is luciferin.