Patent attributes
A structure is configured to retain optical diagnostic assay components in a manner that enables them to be synergistically combined or coupled both mechanically and electrically with a conventional mobile electronic device (such as a smartphone), such that the pairing maintains a mutually advantageous relationship to provide a compact portable optical assay apparatus in which the optical assay portion has access to the image sensor, battery power, microprocessor, and data capture, analysis, storage, display and transmission capabilities of the smartphone, and the smartphone portion provides the overall apparatus with features of transportability, user interface, and information storage, analysis and retrieval, and transmission of assay results to a separate site, such as a site of records related to the provider of the sample being assayed. Methods of providing such structure and of performing an optical assay of sample material utilizing such structure are described.