Electrochemical Lateral Flow Assays: Signal-Generation Mechanisms, Material Architectures, and Translational Pathways for Quantitative Point-of-Care Diagnostics

Lateral flow assays (LFAs) are widely used point-of-care diagnostic platforms because they are simple, rapid, low-cost, and easy to operate. The integration of electrochemical transduction into lateral flow platforms enables biorecognition events to be converted into measurable electrical signals. This approach supports portable, digitally readable, and user-friendly diagnostic testing. This review examines electrochemical lateral flow assays (eLFAs) through a design-oriented framework that connects signal-generation mechanisms, electrode materials, device architecture, and translational feasibility. It first discusses why traditional LFAs are constrained by optical readout and then summarizes the major electrochemical modes used in eLFAs, including amperometric, voltammetric, and impedimetric approaches. The principal signal-transduction strategies are then analyzed, including enzyme-mediated amplification, redox-active probes, metallic nanoparticle dissolution, direct electroactive labels, and label-free interfacial sensing. Particular emphasis is placed on how these mechanisms interact with material choice and physical integration strategy, including external electrodes, ex situ measurement formats, and fully integrated on-strip transducers. By comparing these approaches, this review highlights the tradeoffs between sensitivity, simplicity, manufacturability, and user operation. Finally, the major translational barriers that continue to limit real-world implementation are discussed, including reproducibility, biofouling, flow control, user-friendliness, regulatory validation, large-scale manufacturing, and sustainability.