Method for evaluation of a thin-layer chromatography plate

A method for evaluation of a thin-layer chromatography plate (2) after performing a separation process that separates components of a sample on the thin-layer chromatography plate (2), the method comprising:

• a digitization step wherein a digital image (1, 5) of the thin-layer chromatography plate (2) is taken with a digital imaging device (20),
• a position identification step wherein the position of the thin-layer chromatography plate (2) within the digital image (1, 5) is identified, and
• an evaluation step wherein the position of visible spots (9, 10) indicating sample components on the thin-layer chromatography plate (2) is determined in order to evaluate the thin-layer chromatography on the basis of the determined positions of spots (9, 10),
• wherein within the digitization step at least two digital images (1, 5) that differ with respect to the wavelength range of illumination are taken,
• wherein within the position identification step the position of the thin-layer chromatography plate (2) is identified for each of the at least two digital images (1, 5), and
• wherein within the evaluation step an image information of the at least two digital images (1, 5) is superimposed for at least all regions with at least one visible spot (9, 10) within at least one of the at least two digital images (1, 5), so that the superimposition (10) of image information from identical regions of at least two digital images (1, 5) can be used for evaluation of the thin-layer chromatography plate,
• wherein within the evaluation step a track identification step is performed, whereby for a predetermined or automatically detected number of stripes running from a baseline to a solvent front a stripe intensity is determined as a sum of pixel intensities of pixels within the respective stripe, and whereby for each stripe with a local maximum or with a local minimum of stripe intensity a corresponding track (a, b, c) is identified.