Analyzing information gathered using multiple analytical techniques

• US 7,571,056 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vialogy Corp., ViaLogy LLC (Yourgene Health Plc)
• Original Assignee: Vialogy Corp.
• Inventors: George, Thomas, Ben-Menahem, Shahar, Breaux, James Kelly, Bromley, Clare Livingston III, Gulati, Sandeep
• Primary Examiner(s): Nghiem; Michael P
• Application Number:
  US11/753,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20080015793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 702/23, 702/30, 702/67, 702/179, 702/181, 702/189, 702/66, 703/9, 703/11, 703/12
• US Class Current: 702/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/00 Investigating or analysing non-biological materials by the use of the chemical methods specified in the subgroup; Apparatus specially adapted for such methods

Abstract

Systems and techniques for analyzing information gathered by multiple analytical techniques. In one aspect, a method includes receiving analytical information, gathered by multiple analytical techniques, regarding a sample, receiving expectations regarding a sample parameter, and estimating a value of the sample parameter based on the analytical information and the expectations regarding the sample parameter.

Claims

1. An article comprising one or more computer-readable media storing instructions operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations for analyzing information gathered by multiple analytical techniques, the operations comprising:

sweeping a window objective function across a multidimensional analytical information space that represents information gathered by multiple analytical techniques;

inferring a derivative attribute for each of a collection of positions along the sweep using the window objective function and the information gathered by the multiple analytical techniques;

combining the derivative attributes for the collection of positions into a derivative space; and

making the derivative space available for analyzing information gathered by multiple analytical techniques.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise assigning the derivative attributes to foci of the window objective function at each of the positions in the collection of positions.

3. The article of claim 1, wherein:

the analytical information space comprises a two-dimensional surface;

the window objective function comprises a two-dimensional window objective function; and

combining the derivative attributes comprises combining the derivative attributes into a derivative surface.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein the analytical information space represents a mass-to-charge ratio of charged species generated from a sample and interactions between constituent components of the sample and a stationary phase.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein sweeping the window objective function comprises sweeping a function that includes a parameter representing simulated mass-selected information and a parameter representing non-mass-selected information.

6. The article of claim 1, wherein combining the derivative attributes comprises combining derivative attributes representing mass-selected species into the derivative space.

7. The article of claim 1, wherein inferring the derivative attribute comprises generating a maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation of the value of the derivative attribute.

8. The article of claim 1, wherein making the derivative space available comprises providing the derivative space to an allied data processing device.

9. The article of claim 1, wherein making the derivative space available comprises outputting the derivative space for display to a human user.

10. The article of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise estimating a value of the sample parameter based on the derivative space.

11. The article of claim 10, wherein estimating the value of the sample parameter comprises estimating the value using Bayesian statistics.

12. The article of claim 10, wherein estimating the value of the sample parameter comprises generating a maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation of the value of the sample parameter.

13. The article of claim 1, wherein sweeping the window objective function comprises sweeping a function that includes a parameter representing simulated mass-selected information.

14. The article of claim 1, wherein sweeping the window objective function comprises sweeping a function that includes a parameter representing non-mass-selected information.

15. The article of claim 1, wherein sweeping the window objective function comprises sweeping a function that includes a parameter representing real chromatographic information.

16. The article of claim 1, wherein sweeping the window objective function comprises determining a collection of derivative attributes at different positions.

17. An article comprising one or more computer-readable media storing instructions operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations for analyzing information gathered by multiple analytical techniques, the operations comprising:

sweeping a window objective function across an analytical information space that represents information gathered by multiple analytical techniques;

inferring a derivative attribute for each of a collection of positions along the sweep using the window objective function and the information gathered by the multiple analytical techniques, wherein inferring the derivative attribute comprises generating a maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation of the value of the derivative attribute; and

combining the derivative attributes for the collection of positions into a derivative space; and

making the derivative space available for analyzing information gathered by multiple analytical techniques.