A method of providing a confidence test for an affinity based diagnostic assay comprising: (a) preparing a microarray platform for a first time by depositing an amount of a primary antibody with an affinity for a molecule of interest in each of a plurality of control test sites; (b) exposing a control sample to the plurality of control test sites, wherein the control sample is a solvent with a known concentration of the molecule of interest; (c) establishing a first test environment at a first of the plurality of control test sites; (d) establishing a second test environment different from the first test environment at a second of the plurality of control test sites, wherein the first and second test environments are established by controlling environmental factors, the environmental factors comprising at least one of pH, temperature, electric field, magnetic field, and buffer type; (e) incubating the control sample; (f) washing the plurality of control test sites for a first time; (g) introducing a labeled secondary antibody into the plurality of control test sites and incubating; (h) washing the plurality of control test sites for a second time; (i) obtaining a first detection signal, S_1, by detecting the labeled secondary antibody remaining in the control test sites exposed to the first environment; (j) obtaining a second detection signal, S_2, by detecting the labeled secondary antibody remaining in the control test sites exposed to the second environment; (k) determining a first quality metric, Q_M, for the molecule of interest according to one of the following equations: Q M = S 1 t f − S 2 t f, Q M = S 1 t f − S 2 t f S 1 t f + S 2 t f, Q M = S 1 t f − S 1 t o S 1 t o − S 2 t f − S 2 t 0 S 2 t o, and Q M = Log S 1 t f − S 1 t o S 1 t o − Log S 2 t f − S 2 t 0 S 2 t o, wherein t_f is a final assay time after completion of steps (a) to (j), and wherein t_0 is an assay time after a partial amount of a time of step (h); (l) preparing the microarray platform for a second time by depositing an amount of the primary antibody with an affinity for the molecule of interest in each of a plurality of test sites; (m) exposing an uncontrolled sample to the plurality of test sites, wherein the uncontrolled sample has an unknown concentration of the molecule of interest; (n) repeating steps (c) to (k) with the uncontrolled sample in place of the control sample to determine a second quality metric for the molecule of interest, wherein the second quality metric is computed by using the same equation as for the first quality metric; and (o) comparing the second quality metric with the first quality metric in order to perform a confidence test on the uncontrolled sample by establishing a confidence range of values based upon the first quality metric, and by determining whether the second quality metric lies within the confidence range. (a) preparing a microarray platform for a first time by depositing an amount of a primary antibody with an affinity for a molecule of interest in each of a plurality of control test sites; (b) exposing a control sample to the plurality of control test sites, wherein the control sample is a solvent with a known concentration of the molecule of interest; (c) establishing a first test environment at a first of the plurality of control test sites; (d) establishing a second test environment different from the first test environment at a second of the plurality of control test sites, wherein the first and second test environments are established by controlling environmental factors, the environmental factors comprising at least one of pH, temperature, electric field, magnetic field, and buffer type; (e) incubating the control sample; (f) washing the plurality of control test sites for a first time; (g) introducing a labeled secondary antibody into the plurality of control test sites and incubating; (h) washing the plurality of control test sites for a second time; (i) obtaining a first detection signal, S_1, by detecting the labeled secondary antibody remaining in the control test sites exposed to the first environment; (j) obtaining a second detection signal, S_2, by detecting the labeled secondary antibody remaining in the control test sites exposed to the second environment; (k) determining a first quality metric, Q_M, for the molecule of interest according to one of the following equations: Q M = S 1 t f − S 2 t f, Q M = S 1 t f − S 2 t f S 1 t f + S 2 t f, Q M = S 1 t f − S 1 t o S 1 t o − S 2 t f − S 2 t 0 S 2 t o, and Q M = Log S 1 t f − S 1 t o S 1 t o − Log S 2 t f − S 2 t 0 S 2 t o, wherein t_f is a final assay time after completion of steps (a) to (j), and wherein t_0 is an assay time after a partial amount of a time of step (h); (l) preparing the microarray platform for a second time by depositing an amount of the primary antibody with an affinity for the molecule of interest in each of a plurality of test sites; (m) exposing an uncontrolled sample to the plurality of test sites, wherein the uncontrolled sample has an unknown concentration of the molecule of interest; (n) repeating steps (c) to (k) with the uncontrolled sample in place of the control sample to determine a second quality metric for the molecule of interest, wherein the second quality metric is computed by using the same equation as for the first quality metric; and (o) comparing the second quality metric with the first quality metric in order to perform a confidence test on the uncontrolled sample by establishing a confidence range of values based upon the first quality metric, and by determining whether the second quality metric lies within the confidence range.