US 6,982,029 B2
Electrophoretic method and system having internal lane standards for color calibration
Walter R. McVey, State College, Pa. (US); and Thomas E. Kane, State College, Pa. (US)
Assigned to SpectraMedix LLC, State College, Pa. (US)
Filed on May 07, 2001, as Appl. No. 9/849,239.
Prior Publication US 2002/0166767 A1, Nov. 14, 2002
Int. Cl. B01D 59/42 (2006.01); C07K 1/26 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 204—461 15 Claims
 
1. A method for performing electrophoresis comprising:
providing a plurality of sample fragments collectively having a first range of sizes, each of the sample fragments being tagged with a dye selected from a first group of dyes, a fluorescence spectrum of the dye of each sample fragment being indicative of a property of that sample fragment;
providing a plurality of reference fragments collectively having a second range of sizes which does not overlap with the first range of sizes, each reference fragment being tagged with a dye selected from the first group of dyes, reference fragments of substantially similar size being tagged with a common dye;
combining the sample fragments and the reference fragments into a common volume;
causing the sample fragments and the reference fragments within the common volume to separate along a common separation lane such that the sample fragments and the reference fragments are separated from one another in at least one of time and space;
optically detecting a fluorescence spectrum comprising a respective fluorescence intensity at each of a plurality of wavelengths from each of the separated sample and reference fragments;
determining first color calibration information based upon the fluorescence spectra of the reference fragments; and
determining at least one property of the sample fragments based upon the first color calibration information and the fluorescence spectra of the sample fragments.