Point-of-Care Diagnoses and Assays Based on Lateral Flow Test

Abstract

Analytical devices for point-of-care diagnoses are highly desired and would improve quality of life when first diagnoses are made early and pathologies are recognized soon. Lateral flow tests (LFTs) are such tools that can be easily performed without specific equipment, skills, or experiences. This review is focused on the use of LFT in point-of-care diagnoses. The principle of the assay is explained, and new materials like nanoparticles for labeling, new recognition molecules for interaction with an analyte, and new additional instrumentation like signal scaling by a smartphone camera are described and discussed. Advantages of the LFT devices as well as their limitations are described and discussed here considering actual papers that are properly cited.