Automated quality control and spectral error correction for sample analysis instruments

A method for quality control of a process performed on a sample, the method comprising:

• providing a plurality of capillaries;
• providing a polymer solution;
• applying a pressure to the polymer solution and transferring at least a portion of polymer solution into the capillaries;
• while applying the pressure, measuring at least one parameter indicative of a sensed value of pressure over time to obtain pressure values;
• performing an analysis on at least a portion of the pressure values;
• and
• using the analysis to make a determination whether a capillary electrophoresis run for a sample should proceed.

A method comprising:

• providing a sample containing one or more biological molecules;
• performing a process or assay on the sample;
• while performing the process or assay, detecting the one or more biological molecules within a detection zone;
• before or during detecting, measuring two or more parameters associated with the process or assay;
• and
• performing an action based on one or more measured values of the two or more parameters;
• wherein the two or more parameters comprises two or more of:
• a parameter indicative of a sensed value of a pressure associated the process or assay, a parameter indicative of a sensed value of a spectrum of at least one biological molecule within the detection zone, a parameter indicative of a sensed value of a temperature associated with the process or assay, and a parameter indicative of a current associated with a medium carrying the at least one biological molecule.

A method for quality control of a process performed on a sample, the method comprising:

• providing a plurality of capillaries comprising a detection zone;
• providing a polymer solution;
• applying a pressure to the polymer solution and transferring at least a portion of polymer solution into the capillaries;
• loading a biological sample into the capillaries;
• beginning a capillary electrophoresis run;
• detecting an optical emission from the detection zone;
• after loading and while applying the pressure, measuring a parameter indicative of a sensed value of pressure;
• determining if the sensed value of pressure is within an acceptable operating range;
• if the pressure is within the acceptable operating range, determining whether the sample run has ended;
• if the pressure is not within the acceptable operating range, ending the run.

A method comprising:

• providing a sample solution containing one or more biological sample molecules;
• performing a process or assay on the sample solution;
• while performing the process or assay, detecting the one or more biological molecules;
• before or during detecting, measuring a first system parameter;
• before or during detecting, measuring a second system parameter;
• performing an analysis on at least some measurements of at least one of the first system parameter and the second system parameter;
• and
• before or during detecting, performing an action based on the analysis.

A method for use with a sample processing instrument for automatic correction of spectral error in dye data for dye-labeled samples, the method comprising:

• generating dye data corresponding to dye-labeled samples run through the sample processing instrument, the dye data comprising at least first dye data corresponding to a first sample labeled with a first dye and second dye data corresponding to a second sample labeled with a second dye, the second dye being different than the first dye;
• using non-derivative values of at least the first dye data and the second dye data to obtain correlated data that is correlated with spectral error of the first dye data;
• and
• applying a correction function using the correlated data to generate corrected dye data.

A method for use in identifying the presence of particular dyes on dye-labeled samples processed by a sample processing instrument, the method comprising, during runtime of the sample processing instrument:

• using a photodetector to generate spectral data, the spectral data corresponding to intensity measurements at various spectra, for each of a plurality of photodetector scans executed over time on dye-labeled samples in an optical path from a light source to the photodetector;
• receiving the spectral data at a processor configured to determine an optimized dye matrix (ODM);
• using the processor to calibrate or recalibrate the sample processing instrument during runtime by at least;
• using a candidate optimized dye matrix (CODM) and the spectral data to generate dye data;
• using the dye data to determine spectral crosstalk values corresponding to spectral crosstalk between dyes of the dye-labeled samples;
• and
• using the spectral crosstalk values and the CODM to determine an ODM.