Table 1.
Advantages and disadvantages of the test-systems on the lateral-flow immunoassay platform
| Advantages | Disadvantages | References |
|---|---|---|
| Inexpensive, fast, and easy-to-use tests; long shelf-life of the test systems | Applicable only for primary screening and require confirmation of positive results by independent methods | [13, 17] |
| No special temperature conditions for storage are required | Special equipment (scanners, reflectometers, CCD cameras) and software are required to obtain quantitative results | [16, 20] |
| No special equipment is required | Technological improvement of the method increases the cost and duration of the analysis | [14, 18] |
| Qualified personnel is not required; can be operated by general practitioners or home patients | In the competitive format, the response negatively correlates with concentration | [15, 19, 21] |
| The visual result is clear and readily visible | Potential technical errors in sample application may affect accuracy and reproducibility of the result | [18, 19, 21] |
| Tests are usually sold in kits with a set of all the items necessary to perform a test | An increase in the sensitivity of tests is associated with the use of gold and silver nanoparticles or an enzyme, which limits shelf-life, increases the cost of the analysis, and breaks the one-step mode of the test | [15, 19, 21] |
| Possible increase in the sensitivity of the test systems when using plasmon resonance, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), chemiluminescent or fluorescent labels |
A test sample must be in the form of a solution Pre-dissolution of dry samples is mandatory Low analyte content in the solution requires sample concentrating |