Automatic optimization of experimental conditions for fast evaluation of diagnostic tests using ubiquitous instrumentation

Rapid quantitative determinations of creatinine, potassium and glucose, all important parameters in routine medical diagnostics, are demonstrated using a computer screen photo-assisted technique (CSPT). CSPT uses regular computer screens as light sources and web cameras as imaging detectors for supporting optical evaluations of diverse character. The ubiquity and versatility of the setup, makes CSPT an attractive candidate for point of care determinations.A robust procedure for the automatic selection of experimental conditions in CSPT evaluation, including camera channels and illuminating colors that minimize the measuring time up to 5 times is described. The method utilizes the correlation between experimental conditions and classification scores, obtained under a generic 50 color training session, to extract measuring sequences as short as 9 s. The extracted measuring conditions automatically adapted to the different tests provided a general, practical and fast approach for CSPT optimization in real scenarios.