A viscosity-induced voltage response microfluidic triboelectric sensor for real-time monitoring of blood coagulation.

Blood coagulation is a critical physiological process, and its abnormal or unpredictable occurrence can cause severe medical complications in clinical settings. Rapid and accurate assessment of coagulation status is therefore essential, particularly in clinical trials where timely monitoring is crucial. We developed a microfluidic device integrating a micromixer and multi-signal acquisition system for real-time measurement of blood coagulation times. The device utilizes secondary flow generated at two curves of an expansion–contraction serpentine microchannel to mix plasma, reagents, and calcium ions efficiently. Voltage signals induced by the triboelectric effect between the flowing fluid and a copper wire electrode are collected continuously, enabling precise monitoring of changes in blood viscosity during clot formation. The proposed system requires only 20 µL of sample, achieves coagulation detection within 2 min, and shows measurement deviations of less than 5% compared to a commercial coagulation analyzer. By analyzing these voltage changes, both activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and prothrombin time (PT) can be determined accurately. The device is compact, low-cost, and portable, making it suitable for point-of-care applications and settings where rapid blood status evaluation is needed. Overall, this microfluidic coagulation chip offers a practical alternative to conventional laboratory assays, combining minimal sample consumption, fast detection, and reliable performance, thereby providing an effective tool for monitoring patient coagulation status in clinical trials and potentially in broader medical applications.