Patent ID: 8185319
Filing Date: 2012-05-22
Classification: C12Q,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of compensating a previously measured dose-response curve of one or more assays for the effects of a perturbing variable to which said one or more assays are sensitive, comprising the steps of: A) characterizing a dependence of a dose-response curve of one or more assays on said perturbing variable by the steps of, i) measuring assay signals from a suitable set of known standards for said one or more assays at different values of said perturbing variable, and also measuring one or more other signals dependent on said perturbing variable, and whereby said one or more other signals dependent on said perturbing variable are measured for each of said different values of said perturbing variable; ii) fitting said measured assay signals to a suitable functional form to produce a dose-response curve for each of said one or more assays at each of said different values of said perturbing variable and determining assay parameters from said fitting; and iii) establishing a mathematical relationship between each assay parameter of said one or more assays and each of said one or more other signals dependent on said perturbing variable; B) periodically measuring said dose-response curves of said one or more assays by measuring assay signals from a suitable set of known standards for said one or more assays and fitting said measured assay signals to a suitable functional form to produce a dose-response curve for each of said one or more assays and when measuring said dose-response curves, also measuring said one or more other signals dependent on said perturbing variable; C) when performing one or more assays of unknown samples, compensating for the effect of a change in said perturbing variable on a previously measured dose response curve for said one or more assays, where said one or more other signals dependent on said perturbing variable were measured with said previously measured dose-response curve for said one or more assays, by the steps of: iv) re-measuring said one or more other signals dependent on said perturbing variable; v) obtaining a compensated value of each assay parameter of said one or more assays by adding to each assay parameter obtained from said previously measured dose-response curve for said one or more assays a value equal to the difference between an assay parameter calculated by said mathematical relationship by substituting one of said one or more signals dependent on said perturbing variable re-measured with said assays for said unknown samples, and an assay parameter calculated by said mathematical relationship by substituting one of said one or more signals dependent on said perturbing variable measured with said previously measured dose-response curve; and repeating steps iv) and v) for each of said one or more other signals dependent on said perturbing variable to obtain one or more values of said each assay parameter; and vi) producing a compensated dose-response curve for each of said one or more assays of said unknown samples by averaging said one or more values of each assay parameter for each of said one or more assays.