System and methods for remote assessment of a sample assay for disease diagnostics
A circuit in an image-capturing device is provided. The circuit includes a light source controller configured to provide a signal to a light source when a cartridge mount has received, inside a dark chamber, a test cartridge. The circuit also includes a sensor array controller configured to activate at least one pixel in a sensor array when the light source is activated, and to receive a signal from the at least one pixel, the signal indicative of an optical intensity of a light emitted from the test cartridge. The circuit also includes a processor, configured to form a transmittable file with the signal from the at least one pixel, and a radio-frequency antenna configured to transmit the transmittable file to an external processor.
1. A method for determining presence or absence of an analyte of interest, comprising:
receiving, in a client device, a radio signal from an image-capturing device when a test cartridge has been inserted in an enclosure of the image-capturing device, the test cartridge loaded with a sample;
identifying the image-capturing device through a unique ID provided through the radio signal;
pairing the image-capturing device and the client device;
triggering multiple functions in the image-capturing device according to a schedule, the multiple functions comprising turning ‘on’ a light source in the image-capturing device;
receiving a data stream from the image-capturing device, the data stream comprising a first image of the test cartridge;
adjusting the first image of the test cartridge to improve an image quality and to reduce a size of the data stream, wherein adjusting the first image of the test cartridge comprises cropping the first image of the test cartridge;
determining the presence of a target analyte in the sample based on the first image of the test cartridge; and
receiving, from the image-capturing device, a temperature value for a temperature inside an enclosure holding the test cartridge in the image-capturing device, and adjusting a performance characteristic of the sensor array in the image-capturing device.
2. A method for determining presence or absence of an analyte of interest, comprising:
receiving, in a client device, a radio signal from an image-capturing device when a test cartridge has been inserted in an enclosure of the image-capturing device, the test cartridge loaded with a sample;
identifying the image-capturing device through a unique ID provided through the radio signal;
pairing the image-capturing device and the client device;
triggering multiple functions in the image-capturing device according to a schedule, the multiple functions comprising turning ‘on’ a light source in the image-capturing device;
receiving a data stream from the image-capturing device, the data stream comprising a first image of the test cartridge; wherein receiving the data stream comprises receiving a testing metadata from the image-capturing device, the testing metadata comprising information in a fiduciary label of the test cartridge;
adjusting the first image of the test cartridge to improve an image quality and to reduce a size of the data stream, wherein adjusting the first image of the test cartridge comprises cropping the first image of the test cartridge; and
determining the presence of a target analyte in the sample based on the first image of the test cartridge.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a power to the image-capturing device via a universal serial bus coupled to the client device.
4. A method for determining presence or absence of an analyte of interest, comprising:
receiving, in a client device, a radio signal from an image-capturing device when a test cartridge has been inserted in an enclosure of the image-capturing device, the test cartridge loaded with a sample;
identifying the image-capturing device through a unique ID provided through the radio signal;
pairing the image-capturing device and the client device;
triggering multiple functions in the image-capturing device according to a schedule, the multiple functions comprising turning ‘on’ a light source in the image-capturing device;
receiving a data stream from the image-capturing device, the data stream comprising a first image of the test cartridge, wherein the first image is collected at a first working distance;
adjusting the first image of the test cartridge to improve an image quality and to reduce a size of the data stream, wherein adjusting the first image of the test cartridge comprises cropping the first image of the test cartridge;
determining the presence of a target analyte in the sample based on the first image of the test cartridge;
receiving a second image in the data stream at a second working distance;
evaluating a quality of a measurement based on a comparison of the first image and the second image to determine which of the first and second images exhibits less lens aberration.
5. A method for capturing an image of a lateral flow assay from a sample in a test cartridge, comprising:
receiving, from a presence sensor, a signal indicative of a presence of the test cartridge within an enclosure;
providing, to a client device, a radio signal requesting a start of a measurement to identify the presence of a target analyte in the sample, the radio signal comprising a unique ID;
actuating a light shield to enclose a distal end of the test cartridge in response to insertion of the test cartridge into the enclosure and triggering the start of the measurement;
collecting a first image of the test cartridge from a sensor array; determining a quality of the measurement based on the first image;
adjusting the first image of the test cartridge to improve an image quality and to reduce a size of a data stream, wherein adjusting the first image of the test cartridge comprises cropping the first image of the test cartridge; and
providing, to the client device, the data stream comprising a subject diagnostic based on a digital analysis of the image when the quality of the measurement is higher than a selected threshold.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising turning ‘on’ a light source to illuminate the test cartridge for a selected time period, upon receipt of a trigger signal from the client device, and transmitting a light image to the client device, the light image collected from the sensor array when the light source is on.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein collecting the first image comprises collecting the image of the test cartridge while a light source is turned ‘off’.
8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising cropping the first image to capture a selected area of interest from the lateral flow assay.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein triggering multiple functions in the image-capturing device further comprises adjusting a performance setting in a sensor array in the image-capturing device, the performance setting comprising one of an exposure time, or a data transfer format.
10. The method of claim 2 , wherein triggering multiple functions in the image-capturing device further comprises adjusting a performance setting in a sensor array in the image-capturing device, the performance setting comprising one of an exposure time, or a data transfer format.
11. The method of claim 2 , further comprising providing a power to the image-capturing device via a universal serial bus coupled to the client device.
12. The method of claim 4 , wherein triggering multiple functions in the image-capturing device further comprises adjusting a performance setting in a sensor array in the image-capturing device, the performance setting comprising one of an exposure time, or a data transfer format.
13. The method of claim 4 , further comprising providing a power to the image-capturing device via a universal serial bus coupled to the client device.