A system for optical analysis of a blood sample, the system containing: a cartridge (308, 400, 450) including an inlet configured to receive the blood sample, and a plurality of operationally-parallel read-out channels, each read-out channel comprising a corresponding analysis chamber (420A, 420B, 420C) in fluid communication with the inlet and configured to receive light incident thereon so that the blood sample therein is illuminated, wherein each read-out channel includes a corresponding blood coagulation activator; an optical data acquisition portion including an optical detector unit configured to receive light that has been delivered from a source of coherent light into the analysis chambers (420A, 420B, 420C) of the plurality of operationally-parallel read-out channels simultaneously and that has interacted with a portion of the blood samples contained therein; and a programmable processor operably connected to the optical detector unit and programmed to: receive optical data, from the optical detector unit, the optical data including a time-varying series of speckle images from each analysis chamber (420A, 420B, 420C), each speckle image obtained from the interaction between the light and particles within the blood sample contained in the respective analysis chamber (420A, 420B, 420C), wherein the cartridge comprises a first read-out channel comprising a first analysis chamber and including a tissue factor, a second read-out channel comprising a second analysis chamber and including kaolin, and a third read-out channel comprising a third analysis chamber and including a platelet agonist and anticoagulant; determine, using the speckle images from the third analysis chamber, a value of mean square displacement, MSD, of the particles within the blood sample, the particles being platelet aggregates; and determine a size of the platelet aggregates, based on the value of MSD. a cartridge (308, 400, 450) including an inlet configured to receive the blood sample, and a plurality of operationally-parallel read-out channels, each read-out channel comprising a corresponding analysis chamber (420A, 420B, 420C) in fluid communication with the inlet and configured to receive light incident thereon so that the blood sample therein is illuminated, wherein each read-out channel includes a corresponding blood coagulation activator; an inlet configured to receive the blood sample, and a plurality of operationally-parallel read-out channels, each read-out channel comprising a corresponding analysis chamber (420A, 420B, 420C) in fluid communication with the inlet and configured to receive light incident thereon so that the blood sample therein is illuminated, wherein each read-out channel includes a corresponding blood coagulation activator; an optical data acquisition portion including an optical detector unit configured to receive light that has been delivered from a source of coherent light into the analysis chambers (420A, 420B, 420C) of the plurality of operationally-parallel read-out channels simultaneously and that has interacted with a portion of the blood samples contained therein; and a programmable processor operably connected to the optical detector unit and programmed to: receive optical data, from the optical detector unit, the optical data including a time-varying series of speckle images from each analysis chamber (420A, 420B, 420C), each speckle image obtained from the interaction between the light and particles within the blood sample contained in the respective analysis chamber (420A, 420B, 420C), wherein the cartridge comprises a first read-out channel comprising a first analysis chamber and including a tissue factor, a second read-out channel comprising a second analysis chamber and including kaolin, and a third read-out channel comprising a third analysis chamber and including a platelet agonist and anticoagulant; determine, using the speckle images from the third analysis chamber, a value of mean square displacement, MSD, of the particles within the blood sample, the particles being platelet aggregates; and determine a size of the platelet aggregates, based on the value of MSD. receive optical data, from the optical detector unit, the optical data including a time-varying series of speckle images from each analysis chamber (420A, 420B, 420C), each speckle image obtained from the interaction between the light and particles within the blood sample contained in the respective analysis chamber (420A, 420B, 420C), wherein the cartridge comprises a first read-out channel comprising a first analysis chamber and including a tissue factor, a second read-out channel comprising a second analysis chamber and including kaolin, and a third read-out channel comprising a third analysis chamber and including a platelet agonist and anticoagulant; determine, using the speckle images from the third analysis chamber, a value of mean square displacement, MSD, of the particles within the blood sample, the particles being platelet aggregates; and determine a size of the platelet aggregates, based on the value of MSD.