Calcium electrode--a method for the continuous monitoring of the platelet release reaction

The calcium electrode is a convenient, inexpensive, and non-traumatic method for measuring changes in the extracellular calcium which accompanies a platelet release reaction. With this instrument, the temporal pattern of release by platelets in a buffered-saline medium following thrombin stimulation was observed as follows: an initial time lag phase, followed by a maximum release phase, and finally a slow release phase.