[Presentation of a clinical hemoviscosimeter].
A clinical hemoviscosiSImeter is presented. It is a Couette type viscometer which is automatic and driven by a microcomputer. It was designed and realized in the laboratory. The measurement of blood viscosity requires 1 ml of anticoagulated blood adjusted at 45% of hematocrit. Experiments are performed at a constant temperature (37 degrees C) according to a well-established protocol: gentle mixing of the blood sample followed by a 3 minute rest just before each of the following measurement modes begins. Under steady state flow conditions, 12 viscosity measurements are realized in a range of shear stress rate step of 1 s-1 is applied. The elastothixotropic response of the blood sample is then obtained. Such a hemorheological test, called "hemorheogram", requires 15 minutes. Given to the clinician, the hemorheogram results include the absolute blood viscosities at the shear stress rates of 0.1 s-1, 1 s-1, 10 s-1, 70 s-1, the thixotropy index and the plasma viscosity. Finally, results to be kept in the laboratory files consist of the whole data issued from the patient hemorheogram including the relative blood viscosities (blood viscosity/plasma viscosity) at the same shear strers rate values.