Magnetic lateral flow immunoassay test strip development – Considerations for proof of concept evaluation

Lateral flow immunoassays (LFIA) have grown to become the predominant test device format for the diagnostics and point-of-care industries. The demand for robust and reproducible LFIAs has been facilitated through scale-up production methods using specialized and automated instruments. However, the feasibility of a LFIA device can still be evaluated in a small-scale laboratory setting through controlled manual preparation methods. The advent of super-paramagnetic (SPMP) labels for use in lateral flow has heralded the possibility of highly sensitive and stable LFIAs. The methods used for the preparation of a magnetic LFIA prototype device using a reserved suite of laboratory equipment are described.