Patent ID: 7211438

Claim:
A method for predicting the presence of haemostatic dysfunction in a patient from at least one time-dependent measurement profile, comprising: performing at least one time-dependent measurement on an unknown sample capable of clotting and derived from the patient and measuring a respective property over time so as to derive a time-dependent measurement profile; computing the slope of the time-dependent measurement profile based on values of the time-dependent measurement at a plurality of times prior to clot formation; automatically detecting a biphasic waveform in the time-dependent measurement profile based on the computed slope; and predicting the presence of haemostatic dysfunction in the patient based on the biphasic waveform; wherein the time-dependent measurement profile is of optical transmission through the unknown sample during an activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) assay and wherein automatically detecting the biphasic waveform comprises automatically detecting the biphasic waveform when the slope is less than about −0.0003.