Method for detecting the impacts of interfering effects on experimental data

• US 9,759,659 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2011
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evotec AG
• Original Assignee: Evotec AG
• Inventors: Eggeling, Christian, Palo, Kaupo, Fay, Nicolas, Hoffman-Wecker, Maciej, Ilouga, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngon, Ricky
• Application Number:
  US13/044,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20110218767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,378 Days
• Field of Search: 702 19, 702 21, 702 22, 702 23, 702 26, 702 27, 702 28, 702 29, 702 30, 702 32, 702 35, 702 36, 702 40, 702 57, 702 81, 702 82, 702128, 702 13, 702 7, 702179, 702180, 702181, 702182, 702189-194, 250305-311, 250580-582, 25037001, 25037008, 25039007, 250395, 250550-552, 25055901-55908, 356 36- 38, 356300, 356302-303, 356450, 356451, 356213, 356218, 3562371
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6445 Measuring fluorescence polarisation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/1215 for interfering gases

Abstract

A method for identifying the impact on data, such as experimental data, of interfering effects, such as unwanted auto-fluorescence, fluorescence quenching, and fluorescent-sample deterioration, whether or not the data fulfill certain criteria with respect to a threshold indicative of the interfering effects.

Claims

1. A system for detecting the impact of and correcting for interfering effects of auto-fluorescence, fluorescence quenching, and fluorescence-signal deterioration on fluorescence emission data resulting from fluorescence measurements, said system comprising:

(i) a device for supporting one or a plurality of samples selected from the group consisting of drug-candidate samples and patient-specimen samples in an inspection station,

(ii) one or a plurality of fluorescence signal detectors which are positioned relative to the inspection station so that a fluorescence signal emitted from the samples impinges on the fluorescence signal detectors, and

(iii) a fluorescence signal processing unit programmed to perform the steps of

receiving fluorescence emission data generated by the fluorescence signal detectors,

determining values of a plurality of fluorescence identification parameters from said fluorescence emission data including at least first and second corresponding fluorescence identification parameters,

storing the determined values in such a manner that all the determined values which relate to any one of the samples are linked,

creating a multi-dimensional histogram or distribution of the determined values of the fluorescence identification parameters,

determining thresholds for the determined values of the fluorescence identification parameters from said multi-dimensional histogram or distribution, which thresholds are indicative of interfering effects selected from the group consisting of auto-fluorescence, fluorescence quenching, and fluorescence-signal deterioration, wherein the threshold for the determined values of the first fluorescence identification parameter is a function of the corresponding second fluorescence identification parameter,

analyzing the determined values of the plurality of fluorescence identification parameters whether or not the determined values fulfill one or a plurality of criteria with respect to the thresholds,

supplying as output information fluorescence emission data influenced by the interfering effects, fluorescence emission data not affected by the interfering effects, or fluorescence emission data influenced by the interfering effects and fluorescence emission data not affected by the interfering effects, and

using the output information to detect at least one of false positive drug-candidate test results in the fluorescence emission data, false negative drug-candidate test results in the fluorescence emission data, false positive diagnostic test results in the fluorescence emission data, and false negative diagnostic test results in the fluorescence emission data.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a fluorescence reader.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a fluorescence reader including a confocal optical set-up.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the photosensitive detector comprises an avalanche photodiode or a charged coupled device (CCD) camera.