An automated amidolytic assay of thrombin generation: an alternative for the prothrombin-time test.

An automated method is presented for the determination of thrombin generation in plasma during activation by thromboplastin. The thrombin generated is allowed to split the chromogenic substrate Tol-Gly-Pro-Arg-pNA yielding p-nitroaniline. The increase in absorbance at 410 nm is recorded. This assay may serve as a specific, precise and fast alternative for the conventional clotting tests: "Prothrombin time" and "Thrombotest".