Presented at the 2024 DTRA CBD S&T Conference
Faster biothreat detection in resource-constrained environments enables faster countermeasure deployment, giving our warfighters unprecedented advantages. Lateral flow immunoassays (LFI) allow for rapid detection of diverse targets by leveraging capillary flow on portable, low-cost, and simple devices.
- BlindSpot Chips (MaximBio) are multiplexed LFIs to detect toxins.
- Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assays are a cheaper, faster, and easier nucleic acid detection testing alternative to PCR.
These tests pose challenges as they are still prone to subjective interpretation due to issues like line bleeding and faint or weak positives. They also lack clear guidance for next steps and require costly, vendor-specific hardware.
We developed an algorithm to analyze Blindspot Chips and LAMP assays using computer vision for in-field interpretation without need for costly equipment and advanced training. The workflow validated in a virtual cell phone application that runs locally, without internet requirement.