Spectral Calibration Method and System for Multiple Instruments

Abstract

Implementations of the present invention describe an apparatus for generating calibration factors for a spectral detector instrument. The calibration factors are derived from a calibration plate containing one or more spectral species in each well of the calibration plate. Each well is then exposed to an excitation source that causes the one or more spectral species in each of the wells to fluoresce. The signal response is measured and associated with each spectral species at each different well position in the calibration plate. Next, the measured signal response from each spectral species at each well position in the calibration plate is compared with a predetermined signal response for each spectral species. The results of this comparison can be used to determine a calibration factor for each well and spectral species to compensate for the difference between the measured signal response and the predetermined signal response.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A method of calibrating a spectral detector instrument comprising:
 receiving a plate containing one or more potential targets and spectral species in each well of a plate having one or more wells;   exposing each well in the plate to an excitation source that cause the spectral species to fluoresce in correlations to the presence of the target;   measuring the initial signal values received from the spectral species in different well positions of the plate; and   adjusting the initial measured signal values using a calibration factor for each well and spectral species combination derived from a calibration plate having predetermined relative concentrations of the one or more spectral species.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 Directly using the adjusted initially measured signal values collected from multiple instruments in an experiment. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the measured signal values are collected over time from each of the multiple instruments. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the plate containing one or more targets and the calibration plate is selected from a set of plates including a 96-well plate, a 384-well plate and a plate having a multiple of 96-wells. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the assay includes one or more probes selected from a set including: FAM, SYBR Green, VIC, JOE, TAMRA, NED, CY-3, Texas Red, CY-5 and ROX. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein ROX is used as a passive reference. 
     
     
         18 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory encoded with instructions for:
 receiving a plate containing one or more potential targets and spectral species in each well of a plate having one or more wells; 
 exposing each well in the plate to an excitation source that cause the spectral species to fluoresce in correlations to the presence of the target; 
 measuring the initial signal values received from the spectral species in different well positions of the plate; and 
 adjusting the initial measured signal values using a calibration factor for each well and spectral species combination derived from a calibration plate having predetermined relative concentrations of the one or more spectral species. 
   
     
     
         21 . A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions, executable by a processor, the instructions comprising instructions for:
 receiving a plate containing one or more potential targets and spectral species in each well of a plate having one or more wells;   exposing each well in the plate to an excitation source that cause the spectral species to fluoresce in correlations to the presence of the target;   measuring the initial signal values received from the spectral species in different well positions of the plate; and   adjusting the initial measured signal values using a calibration factor for each well and spectral species combination derived from a calibration plate having predetermined relative concentrations of the one or more spectral species.