title: Designing and interpretation of digital assays: Concentration of target in the sample and in the source of sample.
abstract: We explain how to design classic digital assays, comprising identical partitions, in order to obtain the required precision of the estimate within a defined range of concentrations. The design, including the number and volume of partitions, depends significantly on whether the assay is to assess the concentration of the target analytein the sampleorin the source of the sample(e.g. a patient body) with a given precision. We also show how to translate the result referring to the concentration in the sample into the concentration in the source of the sample, including the significant change in the breath of the confidence intervals.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, Warsaw 01-224, Poland; Curiosity Diagnostics Sp. z o.o. Kasprzaka 44/52, Warsaw 01-224, Poland.
authors.forename: Pawel R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Debski
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, Warsaw 01-224, Poland; Curiosity Diagnostics Sp. z o.o. Kasprzaka 44/52, Warsaw 01-224, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Garstecki
keywords: Assay; DNA; Diagnostics; Digital techniques; MC, monte carlo (simulation); MPN, most probable number; PCR; PCR, polymerase chain reaction