How do I QC Inspect lateral flow tests?

The format of lateral flow tests make them difficult to inspect, detect and remove bad parts. When a processing step has exceeded an assigned parameter, the resulting faulty elements or components often cannot be physically removed until the master strip or webs have been singulated into individual parts.

Further, the difficulties of carrying out QC operations includes inspection of process defects, and tracking and removal of the defective parts are significant. Such operations can be carried out manually but with substantial labor and equipment burden. Automated vision systems such as that used on BioDot dispensers and laminators can detect:

• missing reagent/line integrity
• line width
• line intensity profile
• membrane defects
• alignment errors
• satellites

Further, alignment of dispense lines can be detected and adjusted from features such as membrane edge. Bad part marking is affected by the inspection system triggering an ink jet. The portions of the laminate that are bad part marked can then be automatically read during the cutting process. As the laminate is passed through the cutter, faulty portions are automatically detected and remove from the process.