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Updated: Jun 12, 2025

Microfluidics in Assessing Platelet Function
Published on: November 8, 2024
Exploring the performance of an artificial intelligence- and morphology-driven workflow integrating 4 platelet
Julien Guy1, Marie-C Béné2, Ramon Simon Lopez3
1Hematology Biology Department, Dijon University Hospital, Dijon, France.
Objective:
Platelet count, one of the main parameters of the complete blood count, requires accurate evaluation to guide patient management. It can be hampered by EDTA-induced pseudo-thrombocytopenia (PTCP), microcytic red blood cells (RBCs), RBC fragments, or giant platelets. A new set of 4 methods from the Mindray CAL-8000 platform, applicable on a single sample for platelet count, was evaluated.
Methods:
The 4 options of the platform respectively use impedance (PLT-I); optical assessment (PLT-O) with a disaggregating agent; morphology (PLT-M) assessed by artificial intelligence-aided visualization on a smear prepared, stained, and analyzed by the platform; and PLT-Pro with morphologic assessment on a larger area of the smear. As part of an evaluation of the Mindray solution, a total of 2474 samples, collected on EDTA and sent for routine CBC, were further evaluated on the CAL-8000. The methods were combined according to a predefined algorithm.
Results:
An automated report with accurate evaluation was ultimately obtained for 100% of the samples, using the sequence PLT-I, PLT-O, PLT-M, and PLT-Pro, which allowed accurate counting even in the presence of PTCP-related clumps.
Conclusions:
Although this was a proof-of-concept assay including all analysis parameters, it validated the proposed new algorithm that can be implemented for routine flags.

