Patent ID: 7188030

Claim:
A method for amplification reaction analysis, the method comprising: performing a PCR-based amplification reaction using a target sequence having an initial concentration and containing a detectable reporter construct; acquiring detection information generated by the detectable reporter construct indicative of a change in the concentration of the target sequence over the course of the amplification reaction; assembling a data set comprised at least a portion of the detection information to model the amplification reaction; and analyzing the data set in an automated manner wherein exponential threshold comprising a region where the target sequence concentration increases in a substantially exponential manner is determined using a sliding window procedure and a noise analysis is performed to establish a baseline for normalizing the data set, wherein the sliding window procedure further comprises the steps of: (a) performing a regression fit on the data set wherein a first plurality of line segments having a first designated length are fit within selected regions of the data set; (b) identifying a first best-fit line by evaluating the slopes of the plurality of line segments and associating the slope of the line segment having the greatest slope that also maintains a selected fit quality with the first best fit line; (c) selecting a second plurality of line segments having a second designated length and performing a second regression fit on the data set according to steps (a) and (b) to generate a second best-fit line; (d) comparing the slopes of the first best-fit line and the second best-fit line identifying an overall best-fit line having the greater slope; and (e) repeating steps (a) through (d) above associating the overall best fit line having substantially the greatest slope with the exponential threshold.