Paper-based immunoassays for mobile healthcare: strategies, challenges, and future applications

Paper-based immunoassay technology has been applied in the development of many point-of-care diagnostic devices. Techniques such as paper-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) have demonstrated advantages including high accuracy, rapidity, low-cost, user-friendliness, and small clinical sample requirement. Successful implementation of paper-based ELISA for diagnostic investigations in ophthalmology, microbiology, and dermatology have demonstrated their clinical value and the value of paper-based immunoassays in general. This value has evolved and deepened as trends toward mobile device integration have contributed to improved paper-based immunoassay accuracy and applicability. Here, we will describe some of the impactful strategies that have successfully implemented this intriguing integration and discuss the challenges faced when developing this kind of technology. We believe that this approach shows tremendous potential for improving mobile diagnostic analysis as well as healthcare efforts and outcomes, and will provide additional advantages as the technology evolves.