System and method

• US 20040013567A1
• Filed: 06/19/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: deltaDOT Limited
• Original Assignee: deltaDOT Limited
• Inventors: Sideris, Dimitrios
• Granted Patent: US 7,497,934 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/58
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44717 Arrangements for investigating the separated zones, e.g. localising zones

Abstract

An analysis system for and method of enabling determination of the velocities of migrating objects and also classifying migrating objects into groups having a common constraint. In one aspect the present invention provides an analysis system for and method of enabling determination of the velocities of migrating objects, the system comprising: a space-time map generator for generating a space-time map of points representative of the signal peaks of signals detected at a plurality of spaced positions; and a vertex finder for identifying at least one vertex from the space-time map, with a single vertex being identified for each group of objects having a common constraint and the velocities of the objects being determinable from the sets of points in the space-time map corresponding to the respective objects as fitted to the respective vertex. In another aspect the present invention provides an analysis system for classifying migrating objects into groups each having a common constraint, the system comprising: a space-time map generator for generating a space-time map of points representative of the signal peaks of signals detected at a plurality of spaced positions; and a vertex finder for identifying at least one vertex from the space-time map, with a single vertex being identified for each group of objects having a common constraint.

Claims

1. An analysis system for enabling determination of the velocities of migrating objects, comprising:

a space-time map generator for generating a space-time map of points representative of the signal peaks of signals detected at a plurality of spaced positions; and

a vertex finder for identifying at least one vertex from the space-time map, with a single vertex being identified for each group of objects having a common constraint and the velocities of the objects being determinable from the sets of points in the space-time map corresponding to the respective objects as fitted to the respective vertex.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a velocity sorter for determining the nominal velocities associated with the signal peaks in the signals and grouping those signal peaks into sets according to nominal velocity.

3. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the space-time map generator is configured to utilise a corrected time component in generating the space-time map according to a function of the electric current variation.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the correction is according to the function t_c=∫

I₀/I(t′

)dt′

in the range of 0 to t, where t is the measured time, t_c is the corrected time, I is the measured current and I₀ is the reference current.

5. The system of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the space-time map generator is an equiphase space-time map generator for generating an equiphase space-time map of equiphase points.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the equiphase space-time map generator is configured to transform each data set into a set of local slopes and determine the local minima as the minimum absolute local derivatives.

7. The system of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the objects are non-labelled objects.

8. The system of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the objects are labelled objects.

9. The system of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the objects are migrated through a channel.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the channel comprises a separation channel through which the objects are electrophoretically driven.

11. The system of any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the objects comprise components from one sample.

12. The system of any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the objects comprise components from a plurality of separate samples.

13. The system of any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the objects comprise molecular components.

14. The system of any of claims 1 to 13, wherein the objects comprise polymeric components.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the components comprise DNA bands.

31. An electrophoresis apparatus including the system of any of claims 1 to 15.

16. A method of enabling determination of the velocities of migrating objects, comprising the steps of:

generating a space-time map of points representative of the signal peaks of signals detected at a plurality of spaced positions; and

identifying at least one vertex from the space-time map, with a single vertex being identified for each group of objects having a common constraint and the velocities of the objects being determinable from the sets of points in the space-time map corresponding to the respective objects as fitted to the respective vertex.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of determining the nominal velocities associated with the signal peaks in the signals and grouping those signal peaks into sets according to nominal velocity.

18. The method of claim 16 or 17, wherein a time component corrected according to a function of the electric current variation is utilised in generating the space-time map.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the correction is according to the function t_c=∫

I₀/I(t′

)dt′

in the range of 0 to t, where t is the measured time, t_c is the corrected time, I is the measured current and I₀ is the reference current.

20. The method of any of claims 16 to 19, wherein the space-time map is an equiphase space-time map of equiphase points.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the equiphase points are determined by transforming each data set into a set of local slopes and determining the local minima as the minimum absolute local derivatives.

22. The method of any of claims 16 to 21, wherein the objects are non-labelled objects.

23. The method of any of claims 16 to 21, wherein the objects are labelled objects.

24. The method of any of claims 16 to 23, wherein the objects are migrated through a channel.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the channel comprises a separation channel through which the objects are electrophoretically driven.

26. The method of any of claims 16 to 25, wherein the objects comprise components from one sample.

27. The method of any of claims 16 to 25, wherein the objects comprise components from a plurality of separate samples.

28. The method of any of claims 16 to 27, wherein the objects comprise molecular components.

29. The method of any of claims 16 to 28, wherein the objects comprise polymeric components.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the components comprise DNA bands.

32. An analysis system for classifying migrating objects into groups each having a common constraint, comprising:

a space-time map generator for generating a space-time map of points representative of the signal peaks of signals detected at a plurality of spaced positions; and

a vertex finder for identifying at least one vertex from the space-time map, with a single vertex being identified for each group of objects having a common constraint.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising a velocity sorter for determining the nominal velocities associated with the signal peaks in the signals and grouping those signal peaks into sets according to nominal velocity.

34. The system of claim 32 or 33, wherein the space-time map generator is configured to utilise a corrected time component in generating the space-time map according to a function of the electric current variation.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the correction is according to the function t_c=∫

I₀/I(t′

)dt′

in the range of 0 to t, where t is the measured time, t_c is the corrected time, I is the measured current and I₀ is the reference current.

36. The system of any of claims 32 to 35, wherein the space-time map generator is an equiphase space-time map generator for generating an equiphase space-time map of equiphase points.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the equiphase space-time map generator is configured to transform each data set into a set of local slopes and determine the local minima as the minimum absolute local derivatives.

38. The system of any of claims 32 to 37, wherein the objects are non-labelled objects.

39. The system of any of claims 32 to 37, wherein the objects are labelled objects.

40. The system of any of claims 32 to 39, wherein the objects are migrated through a channel.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the channel comprises a separation channel through which the objects are electrophoretically driven.

42. The system of any of claims 32 to 41, wherein the velocities of the objects are determinable from the points in the space-time map as fitted to the respective vertex.

43. The system of any of claims 32 to 42, wherein the objects comprise molecular components.

44. The system of any of claims 32 to 43, wherein the objects comprise polymeric components.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the components comprise DNA bands.

60. An electrophoresis apparatus including the system of any of claims 32 to 45.

46. A method of classifying migrating objects into groups each having a common constraint, comprising the steps of:

generating a space-time map of points representative of the signal peaks of signals detected at a plurality of spaced positions; and

identifying at least one vertex from the space-time map, with a single vertex being identified for each group of objects having a common constraint.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising the steps of determining the nominal velocities associated with the signal peaks in the signals and grouping those signal peaks into sets according to nominal velocity.

48. The method of claim 46 or 47, wherein a time component corrected according to a function of the electric current variation is utilised in generating the space-time map.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the correction is according to the function t_c=∫

I₀/I(t′

)dt′

in the range of 0 to t, where t is the measured time, t_c is the corrected time, I is the measured current and I₀ is the reference current.

50. The method of any of claims 46 to 49, wherein the space-time map is an equiphase space-time map of equiphase points.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the equiphase points are determined by transforming each data set into a set of local slopes and determining the local minima as the minimum absolute local derivatives.

52. The method of any of claims 46 to 51, wherein the objects are non-labelled objects.

53. The method of any of claims 46 to 51, wherein the objects are labelled objects.

54. The method of any of claims 46 to 53, wherein the objects are migrated through a channel.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein the channel comprises a separation channel through which the objects are electrophoretically driven.

56. The method of any of claims 46 to 55, wherein the velocities of the objects are determinable from the points in the space-time map as fitted to the respective vertex.

57. The method of any of claims 46 to 56, wherein the objects comprise molecular components.

58. The method of any of claims 46 to 57, wherein the objects comprise polymeric components.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein the components comprise DNA bands.

61. An analysis system for enabling determination of the velocities of migrating objects substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

62. A method of enabling determination of the velocities of migrating objects substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

63. An analysis system for classifying migrating objects into groups each having a common constraint substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

64. A method of classifying migrating objects into groups each having a common constraint substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.