System and apparatus for point-of-care diagnostics

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing configured to receive a test device, wherein the test device comprises a reference line and an analyte-specific test line;

an illumination source;

a detector; and

a processor comprising a software program for control of the illumination source and the detector and for processing data obtained from the detector;

wherein the processor is configured to direct the apparatus to:

(a) generate a one-dimensional data array of values corresponding to signal associated with the reference line and the analyte-specific test line in response to illumination by the illumination source,

(b) use data in the data array corresponding to data from the reference line to identify a location of data in the data array that corresponds to the analyte-specific test line, and

(c) analyze data in the data array that corresponds to the analyte-specific test line to report a result regarding presence or absence of an analyte at the analyte-specific test line.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detector is a single-element photodetector.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the illumination source is a light emitting diode.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the light emitting diode emits light at about 365 nm.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a power output that provides the light emitting diode with at least about 4 mW.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a cellular component that provides wireless transmission of data.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the cellular component transmits the result obtained from analysis of the data in the data array.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a port for connection with an external instrument.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to direct the apparatus to analyze data in the data array by calculating a first derivative of the data array to identify a minimum peak and a maximum peak corresponding to the reference line.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to direct the apparatus to analyze data in the data array by taking the first derivative of the data array to form a derivative data set, wherein a first maximal value in the derivative data set corresponds to a maximum signal from a reference line or a control line on the test device, and the position in the derivate data array of the first maximal value determines the position of data from the analyte-specific test line.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detector detects signal emitted from the test device during illumination by the illumination source.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the emitted signal is emitted from a fluorescing lanthanide compound.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the fluorescing lanthanide compound is chelated europium.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the chelated europium is embedded in microparticles.