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Review
. 2023 Jul 6;23(13):6201.
doi: 10.3390/s23136201.

Use of Lateral Flow Assays in Forensics

Brigitte Bruijns  1   2 , Roald Tiggelaar  3 , Jaap Knotter  1   2 , Annemieke van Dam  4   5   6
Affiliations
Review

Use of Lateral Flow Assays in Forensics

Brigitte Bruijns et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

Already for some decades lateral flow assays (LFAs) are 'common use' devices in our daily life. Also, for forensic use LFAs are developed, such as for the analysis of illicit drugs and DNA, but also for the detection of explosives and body fluid identification. Despite their advantages, including ease-of-use, LFAs are not yet frequently applied at a crime scene. This review describes (academic) developments of LFAs for forensic applications, focusing on biological and chemical applications, whereby the main advantages and disadvantages of LFAs for the different forensic applications are summarized. Additionally, a critical review is provided, discussing why LFAs are not frequently applied within the forensic field and highlighting the steps that are needed to bring LFAs to the forensic market.

Keywords: body fluid identification; explosives analysis; forensic investigation; illicit drugs analysis; lateral flow assays.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Advantages and disadvantages of lateral flow assays. “Reprinted from [17], with permission from Elsevier”.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Overview of the various parts and working principle of a lateral flow assay.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Results of three commercial kits for menstrual blood samples mixed with PBS at three different ratios. (A) Dade Dimertest Latex Assay, (B) SERATEC PMB test and (C) OneStep D-dimer RapidCard InstaTest. NC = negative control (PBS), PC = positive control (pure menstrual blood). “Reprinted from [26], with permission from Elsevier”.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Schematic representation of the fluorescence analysis and lateral flow detection. The LAMP assay produces a fluorescent signal and simultaneously generates a dual-labelled amplicon with FAM and biotin. By capturing the amplicon on the lateral flow strip a visible band is generated. “Reprinted from [47], with permission from Elsevier”.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Schematic overview of the µOPTO device with 6 spots for various reagents (1: tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP), 2: methyl orange, 3: bromocresol green, 4: iodoplatinate, 5: Dragendorff’s, 6: Chen’s). “Reprinted from [56], with permission from Elsevier”.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Image of the Drug Screening Cartridge. “Reprinted from [61], with permission from Oxford University Press”.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Schematic description of an immunochromatic device for the detection of ricin. “Reprinted from [65], with permission from Elsevier”.
Figure 8
Figure 8
A multiplexed µPAD for the detection of various metallic salts. Each lane is labelled with the colour at which each analyte should appear in the case of a positive reaction. “Reprinted from [75], with permission from Elsevier”.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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