Patent ID: 7967968

Claim:
A method for analyzing a sample contained in a matrix medium, the method comprising: providing a monitoring system configured to be integrated with a separation unit, the separation unit comprising a container containing the sample embedded in the matrix medium, and a source of an external exciting field capable of inducing the separation process in the sample, the separation process consisting of spatial separation of molecules of different molecular weights in the sample; and applying real time optical monitoring to the sample while undergoing the separation process in a separation process environment that provides for spatial separation of molecules of different molecular weights in the sample, the optical monitoring comprising exciting the sample with the external exciting field, detecting a radiation response of the sample to the external exciting field, analyzing the response detected in real time, monitoring one or more conditions of the matrix medium in which the sample is embedded and parameters of the separation process, and providing closed-loop feedback control of the separation process to enable variance of the one or more condition and parameters to provide optimal parameters for the separation process, the one or more conditions of the matrix medium comprising a humidity condition of the matrix medium, and the parameters of the separation process comprising an intensity, duration, and direction of an applied electrical field within the separation process environment.