Lateral Flow Tests

The Problems With Traditional Lateral Flow Cassette Devices

At Atomo, we specialise in providing lateral flow cassette manufacturers solutions to improve their tests’ accuracy and usability. Our unique and innovative range of blood and swab based lateral flow cassette platforms are specifically designed for use as both point of care diagnostic devices and self-testing devices.

Beyond our home range of finished good products, we partner with lateral flow test strip manufacturing companies to provide ideal solutions for the problems associated with traditional point of care diagnostic testing platforms. Atomo’s point of care diagnostic devices and self-test devices address issues with correct testing procedure, including tests not being performed in the the correct sequential order, for example, buffer or diluent being added to the test strip prior to the sample. Furthermore, too much or too little buffer or diluent added to the test strip or the wrong well, such as the sample well or results window, are also leading causes of invalid test results among lay users.

Traditional, multi-component lateral flow cassettes also contain too many components in the pack, causing confusion among users. Parts are also cheap and easily misplaced, particularly pipettes, which are flimsy and confusing to use, especially for lay users. Incorrect use of the pipette causes insufficient sample collection and excessive air bubbles, which is another major cause of invalid tests. Furthermore, POC testing devices are often supplied without all of the necessary accessories, such as lancets, pipettes, etc. causing frustration for all involved.

The Atomo Solution – All-in-One Unique Platform

Atomo’s range of unique, point of care diagnostic testing and self-testing devices address the issues associated with traditional lateral flow test devices. Interlocked user steps ensure the test is completed in sequence, greatly reducing user error.

From a point of care diagnostic testing standpoint, there is no need to purchase separate ancillary items such as lancets or pipettes as each component is built into the device. Each of Atomo’s lateral flow cassette platforms has been ergonomically created to fit in the hand comfortably with no external bits and pieces.

A recently conducted usability study comparing Atomo’s Pascal device with a traditional multi-component lateral flow cassette showed that inexperienced lay users are able to complete a diagnostic test using the Pascal platform 3 minutes faster that a typical multi-component test. Furthermore, with the built in buffer delivered by an easy button press action, the Pascal device was able to reduce buffer delivery errors by 100%. Issues concerning incorrect blood collection and delivery errors were shown to be reduced by 90% due to Pascal’s in-built blood collection unit, which is calibrated to collect the exact amount of blood required to complete the test successfully. Overall, the study showed the Pascal platform returned a valid result rate of 98% while the multi-component kit which only returned a valid result rate of just 58%.

Overall 90% of participants in the study indicated that they preferred using the Pascal platform over the typic multi-component lateral flow test kit.

Lateral Flow Cassette Support

Beyond the manufacture of all-in-one blood-based lateral flow cassette platforms, Atomo also offers support for traditional multi-component lateral flow test strip manufacturing organisations.

The Atomo Swab Platform is a device designed to simplify and improve existing swab-based lateral flow cassette testing platforms. To address the issue of inaccuracy in traditional swab-based tests, the Atomo Swab Platform’s consolidated components help improve usability through removing the need for manual dosing of sample and by reducing the number of user steps. The Swab Platform is ideal as a point of care diagnostic device or a self-testing device, helping to increase efficiency in point of care diagnostic testing settings and reduce errors in self-testing situations.

The Atomo Swab Platform is compatible with a wide array of swabs and standard IVD cassettes, making it an ideal add-on for any lateral flow self-test and point of care diagnostic testing manufacturing organisation.

Point of Care Diagnostic Testing

While Atomo’s lateral flow cassette devices have significant benefits in self-testing settings, there are also numerous benefits for point of care diagnostic testing. Our POC testing devices reduce the time taken for physicians to obtain results on behalf of their patients, allowing for a more streamlined process in diagnosing and treating ailments.

Atomo’s lateral flow cassette platforms are customisable for a wide range of assays. We have partnered with lateral flow assay developers around the world to launch HIV, blood-based pregnancy and viral/bacterial tests with many more collaborations in the pipeline. Atomo’s Galileo platform is utilised as a professional use, point of care diagnostic device for HIV, our Pascal platform is utilised as both a professional use test for the detection of hCG (pregnancy). Additionally, Pascal is currently utilised as a rapid, point of care test that differentiates between viral versus bacterial acute respiratory infection.

Point of Care Diagnostic Devices

Atomo has a wide range of lateral flow cassette POC testing devices to suit a variety of needs and budgets. Each of these all-in-one lateral flow cassettes have interlocked, sequenced user steps, a contact activated, auto-retracting safety lancet and an innovative blood collection unit for controlled delivery of blood to the test strip.

In a recent quantitive study comparing Atomo’s Pascal device to a commercially available, multi-component whole blood lateral flow device, it was shown that Atomo’s platform had a higher number of valid tests (96% vs 58%), faster task completion times (04:00 vs 06:52), fewer number of errors made (1.7% vs 12.1%), less difficulties experienced (1.6% vs 3.6%) and fewer references to the IFU materials (16.7% vs 19.2%).

Atomo’s innovative range of lateral flow cassettes are idea for lateral flow test strip manufacturers seeking to ensure their test is as accurate as possible in the hands of users.