System and methods for remote assessment of a sample assay for disease diagnostics

A method for determining presence or absence of an analyte of interest, comprising:

• receiving, in a client device, a radio signal from an image-capturing device when a test cartridge has been inserted in an enclosure of the image-capturing device, the test cartridge loaded with a sample;
• identifying the image-capturing device through a unique ID provided through the radio signal;
• pairing the image-capturing device and the client device;
• triggering multiple functions in the image-capturing device according to a schedule, the multiple functions comprising turning ‘on’ a light source in the image-capturing device;
• receiving a data stream from the image-capturing device, the data stream comprising a first image of the test cartridge;
• wherein receiving the data stream comprises receiving a testing metadata from the image-capturing device, the testing metadata comprising information in a fiduciary label of the test cartridge;
• adjusting the first image of the test cartridge to improve an image quality and to reduce a size of the data stream, wherein adjusting the first image of the test cartridge comprises cropping the first image of the test cartridge;
• and
• determining the presence of a target analyte in the sample based on the first image of the test cartridge.

A method for determining presence or absence of an analyte of interest, comprising:

• receiving, in a client device, a radio signal from an image-capturing device when a test cartridge has been inserted in an enclosure of the image-capturing device, the test cartridge loaded with a sample;
• identifying the image-capturing device through a unique ID provided through the radio signal;
• pairing the image-capturing device and the client device;
• triggering multiple functions in the image-capturing device according to a schedule, the multiple functions comprising turning ‘on’ a light source in the image-capturing device;
• receiving a data stream from the image-capturing device, the data stream comprising a first image of the test cartridge, wherein the first image is collected at a first working distance;
• adjusting the first image of the test cartridge to improve an image quality and to reduce a size of the data stream, wherein adjusting the first image of the test cartridge comprises cropping the first image of the test cartridge;
• determining the presence of a target analyte in the sample based on the first image of the test cartridge;
• receiving a second image in the data stream at a second working distance;
• evaluating a quality of a measurement based on a comparison of the first image and the second image to determine which of the first and second images exhibits less lens aberration.

A method for capturing an image of a lateral flow assay from a sample in a test cartridge, comprising:

• receiving, from a presence sensor, a signal indicative of a presence of the test cartridge within an enclosure;
• providing, to a client device, a radio signal requesting a start of a measurement to identify the presence of a target analyte in the sample, the radio signal comprising a unique ID;
• actuating a light shield to enclose a distal end of the test cartridge in response to insertion of the test cartridge into the enclosure and triggering the start of the measurement;
• collecting a first image of the test cartridge from a sensor array;
• determining a quality of the measurement based on the first image;
• adjusting the first image of the test cartridge to improve an image quality and to reduce a size of a data stream, wherein adjusting the first image of the test cartridge comprises cropping the first image of the test cartridge;
• and
• providing, to the client device, the data stream comprising a subject diagnostic based on a digital analysis of the image when the quality of the measurement is higher than a selected threshold.