METHODS OF PERFORMING A SIZING ANALYSIS USING A CORRECTED SIZING LADDER
FIG5 is a flow diagram of yet another method of performing a sizing analysis, in accordance with the present invention, the method correcting an archival sizing ladder using a real-time standard sizing ladder
FIG5 shows a flow diagram of a method of performing a sizing analysis in accordance with the present invention. An archival sizing ladder is provided, the archival sizing ladder including a plurality of archival ladder migration times (Block 510). A first channel of a fractionation device is loaded with a standard sizing ladder (Block 515). A second channel of the fractionation device is loaded with a sample (Block 520). The sample is separated into a plurality of separated components (Block 525). The standard sizing ladder is separated in parallel with the sample to yield a real-time ladder, the real-time ladder including a plurality of real-time ladder peaks (Block 530). A correction factor (CF) is calculated using the formula CF = (trt,i-trt,i-1)/(ta,i-ta,i-1), where trt,i is the time at which the most recent real-time ladder peak was detected, trt,i-1 is the time at which the previous real-time ladder peak was detected, and (ta,i - ta,i-1) is the migration time difference between the archival ladder peak corresponding to real-time ladder peak (i) and the archival ladder peak corresponding to real-time ladder peak (i-1) (Block 535). The correction factor is applied to each archival ladder migration time corresponding to a not-yet-detected real-time ladder peak, thereby providing one or more corrected archival ladder migration times (Block 540). A sizing analysis of the separated components is performed using a corrected archival sizing ladder consisting of detected real-time ladder peak migration times and corrected archival ladder migration times (Block 545). Steps in Blocks 535 through 545 are repeated for each of the plurality of real-time ladder peaks (Block 550). One or more of the separated components may be directed into a collection well. In alternative embodiments, the steps in Blocks 535 through 545 may be repeated only until immediately before, immediately after, or the time when the separated components are directed into the collection well.
flow diagram
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['1. A method of performing a sizing analysis, the method comprising: providing an archival sizing ladder, the archival sizing ladder including archival ladder migration times; measuring migration times for a standard sizing ladder through a separation channel in a first fractionation device, the separation channel having a quantity of a first batch of sieving gel disposed therein, thereby providing a first sieving gel sizing ladder, the first sieving gel sizing ladder including first sieving gel ladder migration times; determining a ratio of the first sieving gel sizing ladder migration times to the archival ladder migration times, thereby providing a first correction; encoding the first correction into a first information storage means; attaching the first information storage means to a second fractionation device, a separation channel of the second fractionation device having a quantity of the first batch of sieving gel disposed therein; reading the first correction encoded into the information storage means; applying the first correction to each archival ladder migration time, thereby providing a first corrected archival sizing ladder; and performing a sizing analysis of the separated components of a sample disposed in the second fractionation device using the first corrected archival sizing ladder.', '2. The method of claim 1 further comprising: directing one or more of the separated components into a collection well.']