Colorimetric detection on paper analytical device using machine learning

Paper-based analytical devices (PADs) employing colorimetric detection and smartphone images have gained wider acceptance in a variety of measurement applications. The PADs are primarily meant to be used in field settings where assay and imaging conditions greatly vary resulting in less accurate results. Recently, machine learning (ML) assisted models have been used in image analysis. We evaluated a combinations of four ML models - logistic regression, support vector machine, random forest, and artificial neural network, and three image color spaces - RGB, HSV, and LAB for their ability to accurately predict analyte concentrations. We used images of PADs taken at varying lighting conditions, with different cameras, and users for food color and enzyme inhibition assays to create training and test datasets. Prediction accuracy was higher for food color than enzyme inhibition assays in most of the ML model and colorspace combinations. All models better predicted coarse level classification than fine grained concentration labels. ML models using sample color along with a reference color increased the models’ ability in predicting the result in which the reference color may have partially factored out the variation in ambient assay and imaging conditions. The best concentration label prediction accuracy obtained for food color was 0.966 when using ANN model and LAB colorspace. The accuracy for enzyme inhibition assay was 0.908 when using SVM model and LAB colorspace. Appropriate model and colorspace combinations can be useful to analyze large numbers of samples on PADs as a powerful low-cost quick field-testing tool.