Cytometry analysis system and method using database-driven network of cytometers

• US 20030078703A1
• Filed: 10/18/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PPD Biomarker Discovery Sciences LLC (CellCarta Biosciences, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Surromed Incorporated
• Inventors: Potts, Steven, Reynolds, Brenton R., Walton, Ian D., Kantor, Aaron B., Dietz, Louis J.
• Application Number:
  US10/274,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20030078703A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1012 Calibrating particle analysers; References therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1456 without spatial resolution of the texture or inner structure of the particle, e.g. processing of pulse signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/149 specially adapted for sorting particles, e.g. by their size or optical properties
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1006 for cytology

Abstract

A database-driven cytometry network allows for acquisition, analysis, and viewing of large amounts of cytometry data from multiple cytometers. Data from multiple instruments are uploaded to a database, where combined compensation and calibration matrices are applied automatically to correct for both spectral overlap among acquisition channels and instrument-dependent variations. The resulting instrument-independent data are gated automatically using common template gates. A user at a client computer can view and perform statistical analyses on any desired subset of the gated data.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing cytometry data, comprising:

a) transferring experimental data and associated metadata from at least one cytometry instrument to a database;

b) based on said associated metadata, automatically performing an instrument-dependent computation and an experiment-dependent computation on said experimental data in said database to obtain instrument-independent data; and

c) based on said associated metadata, automatically applying a gating scheme to said instrument-independent data in said database to obtain gated data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises applying a combined compensation and calibration matrix to said experimental data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting incorrect application of said gating scheme to said instrument-independent data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting said gated data to a client computer.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying said gated data at said client computer.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving user input at said client computer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said user input comprises a template gate.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said user input comprises a compensation matrix.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying processed data in dependence on said user input.

10. A method for analyzing cytometry data, comprising:

a) obtaining experimental data and associated metadata from at least two cytometry instruments;

b) based on said associated metadata, automatically performing an instrument-dependent computation and an experiment-dependent computation on said experimental data to obtain instrument-independent data; and

c) based on said metadata, automatically applying a gating scheme to said instrument-independent data to obtain gated data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein step (b) comprises applying a combined compensation and calibration matrix to said experimental data.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting incorrect application of said gating scheme to said instrument-independent data.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting said gated data to a client computer.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying said gated data at said client computer.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving user input at said client computer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said user input comprises a template gate.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said user input comprises a compensation matrix.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising displaying processed data in dependence on said user input.

19. A method for analyzing cytometry data, comprising:

a) transmitting experimental data and associated metadata from at least two cytometry instruments to a database;

b) receiving processed data from said database, wherein said processed data are independent of said cytometry instruments; and

c) displaying said processed data.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said processed data comprise gated data.

21. A program storage device accessible by a processor, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by said processor to perform method steps for a cytometry data analysis method, said method steps comprising:

a) obtaining experimental data and associated metadata from at least two cytometry instruments;

b) based on said associated metadata, automatically performing an instrument-dependent computation and an experiment-dependent computation on said experimental data to obtain instrument-independent data; and

c) based on said metadata, automatically applying a gating scheme to said instrument-independent data to obtain gated data.

22. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein step (b) comprises applying a combined compensation and calibration matrix to said experimental data.

23. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein said method steps further comprise detecting incorrect application of said gating scheme to said instrument-independent data.

24. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein said method steps further comprise transmitting said gated data to a client computer.

25. The program storage device of claim 24, wherein said method steps further comprise displaying said gated data at said client computer.

26. The program storage device of claim 24, wherein said method steps further comprise receiving user input at said client computer.

27. The program storage device of claim 26, wherein said user input comprises a template gate.

28. The program storage device of claim 26, wherein said user input comprises a compensation matrix.

29. The program storage device of claim 26, wherein said method steps further comprise displaying processed data in dependence on said user input.

30. A system for acquiring and analyzing cytometry data, comprising:

a) a plurality of cytometry instruments;

b) a database in communication with said cytometry instruments, said database storing experimental data, processed data, an instrument-dependent data correction, and experiment-dependent data correction, and an instrument-independent gating scheme; and

c) a plurality of client computers in communication with said database for viewing and analyzing said processed data.

31. A computer-readable medium storing a cytometry database for analyzing cytometry data, said cytometry database comprising:

a) at least one instrument-dependent compensation and calibration scheme; and

b) at least one instrument-independent gating scheme.