Hue‐shifting for accurate and precise quantification of biochemical substances using diagnostic test strips

Abstract

Some test strips have high feasibility for the quick and approximate quantification of the biochemical substances in samples. Recently, test strips became more precise and accurate by involving the quantitative observation of coloration and regression modelling. Their accuracy and precision can be significantly improved by hue‐shifting the colours of the original sample and those of the standards. The standard colour images included in the instructions of test strips for the detection of four urinary and two salivary biochemical substances were used. Images of glucose‐loaded test strips for urinary glucose detection were also prepared. Using the red‐green‐blue (RGB) colour image, the author prepared 11 hue‐shifted colour images by changing the hue of the original RGB colour image at intervals of 30°. From each of the 12 colour images, 10 greyscale images indicating values of the intensity of RGB, cyan, magenta, yellow, key black, L*, a* and b* were prepared. In regression modelling, the additional 110 greyscale images improved the values of the coefficient of determination and normalised mean absolute error in the quantification of protein, specific gravity, urobilinogen and glucose in urine, as well as of alcohol and nitric oxide in saliva. Further analyses showed that the hue‐shifting technique yielded new greyscale images that were more significantly related to the values of the biochemical variables in question than any previous greyscale images. This improvement was realised by the most significant linear measures for the description of concentrations of biochemical substances, and synergetic effects between significant greyscale images.