Simulation of primary haemostasis in vitro.

Primary haemostasis was simulated in vitro under standardized geometrical, rheological and biochemical conditions. The system was based on the hypothesis that adenine nucleotides, especially adenosine 5'-diphosphate, released from injured vessel wall cells play an important role for the initial platelet aggregation following lesion of small vessels. The device allows the reproducible measurement of in vitro bleeding time and volume in small samples of whole blood.