Patent ID: 8560246

Claim:
An automated method for simultaneously managing results from a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) instrument for the identification of samples comprising high-titer nucleic acids, the method comprising: (a) obtaining fluorescence data from sequence detection software (SDS) associated with a real-time PCR instrument; (b) independently calculating, from the data obtained from the SDS associated with the real-time PCR instrument, a normalized fluorescence signal (R n ) of a sample during a baseline period of the real-time PCR, wherein the baseline period is from about cycle 3 to about cycle 15; (c) determining whether the normalized fluorescence signal (R n ) increases by at least about 20% during the baseline period; (d) flagging the sample as a potentially high-titer sample when the normalized fluorescence signal (R n ) increases by at least about 20% during the baseline period; (e) comparing the SDS-calculated fluorescence data obtained from the SDS associated with the real-time PCR instrument to the independently calculated normalized fluorescence signal (R n ) of step (b) and (f) verifying that the SDS-calculated fluorescence data are substantially accurate.