A simple viewer for prothrombin determination and other coagulation tests.

ABIOUS TECHNICS HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED in observing the end points in performing prothrombin determinations. Some of these entail the use of wire loops (1), direct visual observation of the clot (2), and use of densitometers (3). In our laboratories we have adopted the method of Quick (2). We have found that with the aid of an improvised viewer, observations of any physical clot can be studied and noted. This application has also been used with other coagulation tests. The use of this viewer brings to light any formation of coagulation that is otherwise difficult to observe and is occasionally overlooked in other technics.