Effects of Relative Humidity, Temperature, and Geometry on Fluid Flow Rate in Lateral Flow Immunoassays

Abstract

Lateral Flow Immunoassays (LFIAs) are among the most successful Point of Care (POC) tests. However, factors like reagent stability, reaction rates, and binding kinetics limit the performance and robustness of LFIAs. One of the factors that affects the overall performance of LFIA is the fluid flow rate, and hence, it is desirable to maintain a predictable fluid velocity in porous media. The main objective of this study is to build a statistical model that estimates the fluid velocity in porous media for any given ambient condition to enable us to determine the optimal design parameters for achieving a desired fluid velocity in porous media.