System and method for lateral flow immunoassay testing

A lateral flow immunoassay system, comprising:

• a housing that includes a body portion and a base portion having a first chamber formed within an interior of the base portion, the body portion being formed with first, second, and third openings in fluid communication with the first chamber;
• a vial containing a buffer agent therein and mounted to the housing such that a dispensing side of the vial extends into the first opening of the body portion from an exterior of the housing to be in fluid communication with the first chamber, the vial being formed of a deformable material configured to dispense the total volume of a predetermined amount of the buffer agent from the dispensing side into the first chamber in response to a compressing force being exerted on an exterior surface of the vial;
• and
• a sample collector comprising an absorbent material configured to introduce a sample fluid into the first chamber via the second opening of the housing and configured so that compression is applied to the sample collector so as to maximize the extraction of the sample from the absorbent material;
• and
• wherein, upon the buffer agent being dispensed from the vial and the sample fluid being introduced to the first chamber, the housing allows for the buffer agent and the sample fluid to be mixed within a reaction well formed within the first chamber of the base portion to form a test sample mixture therein,
• wherein the body portion is configured to receive a sample receiving end of an elongated holder member securing at least one immunoassay test strip therein in the third opening and support the holder member to allow for the test strip to be brought into communication with the test sample mixture upon the test sample mixture being formed within the reaction well,
• wherein the absorbent material is fully immersed in the reaction well;
• and
• wherein an immunological identifying reagent used to target an analyte of the sample is located on the test strip and not in the reaction well.