Comparison of microscopic methods for evaluating platelet adhesion to biomaterial surfaces.

Microscopic methods usable for sample surface imaging and subsequent qualitative and quantitative evaluation of platelet adhesion to the surface of the biomaterial studied were compared. It was shown, making use of the samples of medical steel (AISI 316L), that such tools as surface imaging with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), glutaraldehyde induced fluorescence technique (GIFT) and metallurgical microscopy (MM) are equivalent in evaluating surface platelet adhesion. The importance of biological variability of blood samples for a proper result assessment and the necessity of using internal standards were also considered.