Lateral Flow Assay Calibration Without Control Lines

The patent removes the control line component from the test device structure entirely. Instead of including a control line to verify usability, the system relies on calibration functions stored in memory that were established during manufacturing. The processor evaluates measurement signals against these pre-established calibration criteria, eliminating the need for physical control line structures while maintaining reliability verification through software-based calibration checks.

The patent replaces the mechanical/physical control line structure with a software-based calibration evaluation system. The control function is transferred from a physical test line component to a digital processing system that compares measurement signals against stored calibration data. This substitution enables multiplexing capabilities since the calibration-based verification does not require additional physical test line structures.

The patent performs calibration measurements at multiple time points during the manufacturing process and stores the resulting calibration functions in memory before the test device is used. This preliminary calibration action establishes the reference data needed for accurate measurements. During actual use, the device only needs to retrieve and apply these pre-established calibration functions, avoiding the need to perform time-consuming multi-time-point calibration during each measurement session.

The patent performs more calibration measurements than the minimum single time-point measurement during manufacturing, collecting data at multiple time points to establish robust calibration functions. This excessive calibration action during manufacturing creates a comprehensive reference dataset that enables accurate measurements during use without requiring equivalent measurement time. The time investment is made during manufacturing rather than during end-user measurement sessions.