Dynamics of erythrocyte, sedimentation rate as a new diagnostic tool

Measurement of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is one of the most widely used diagnosis techniques. It is believed that high ESR testifies to inflammatory conditions or decay in body tissues. However, standard ESR test data do not allow definitive determination of such conditions. ESR is currently determined manually. The ambiguity of standard ESR tests that have found general use in medicine raises the necessity of increasing their information merit without serious modification to the test method. The present device and method allow completely automatic hourly ESR measurement and determine several parameters of blood sedimentation dynamics (BSD). Analysis of BSD introduces a number of parameters that allow pathology to be detected in case of normal standard ESR test data and allow more efficient planning of medical treatment than is available with hourly ESR data. The results were used to elaborate and produce st pilot device for automatic clinical ESR testing to obtain BSD data. The device and BSD method are being clinically tested at the Intensive Care Unit of the Moscow Central Railway Hospital. All the technical solutions have been patented. BSD can be applied as a new powerful diagnostic tool, once large statistics has been obtained.