In vitro diagnostic (IVD) systems rely on optical receiver techniques to achieve highly sensitive and specific results. Established techniques such as ELISA and PCR utilize a fluorescence optical receive chain to perform diagnostic tests. It’s no surprise, then, that the point-of-care (PoC) market has also adopted optical receivers as a powerful tool in creating a system that’s accurate, flexible, and achieves a fast time to result.
In a fluorescence-based IVD test, a sample containing fluorescent labels is excited with the light of a specific wavelength. If the sample contains the analyte of interest, the fluorescent labels react to the excitation by emitting a light of a lower energy level.