Claims
- 1. A method for improving a quality of a signal in a separation scheme by employing a plurality of stationary sensors, the method comprising:
(a) sensing information about a fluid particle with at least some of the plurality of stationary sensors and producing at least one signal for each stationary sensor used, based on said information; (b) operating on the signals using an operation selected from a group consisting of integration, summation, and statistical correlation to create a signal with greater signal to noise ratio than any of the individual plurality of signals; and (c) using said signal with greater signal to noise ratio to produce a chromatogram.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein additional information is sensed about a plurality of fluid particles, said additional information being combined to produce a chromatogram.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the fluid particle flows in a capillary tube along which the plurality of sensors is arrayed, and wherein the step of sensing information about a fluid particle with at least some of the plurality of stationary sensors comprises the steps of:
(a) selecting a first sensor when the fluid particle is located adjacent to said first sensor; (b) sensing information about the fluid particle with the first sensor; (c) selecting a second sensor when the fluid particle is no longer located adjacent to the first sensor but is adjacent to the second sensor; and (d) sensing information about the fluid particle with the second sensor.
- 4. The method of claim 3 wherein the location of the fluid particle is determined by detecting a marker spike.
- 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the marker spike arises from a difference between a refractive index between a sample solvent and a separation solvent.
- 6. The method of claim 4 wherein the marker spike arises from a spike reproducibly related to at least one separated peak.
- 7. The method of claim 4 wherein the marker spike, reproducibly related to a separated peak, is upstream of all sample peaks in the separation.
- 8. The method of claim 4 wherein the marker spike is an absorbance spike.
- 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the marker spike is generated by adding an absorbance marker with a reproducible relationship to a location of the sample injection.
- 10. The method of claim 8 wherein the marker spike is generated by adding an absorbance marker with a reproducible relationship to a timing of a sample injection.
- 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the absorbance spike arises from an absorbance marker added in a solvent.
- 12. The method of claim 3 wherein a second plurality of sensors sense information about additional fluid particles during a time when the fluid particle is adjacent to the first sensor.
- 13. The method of claim 12 wherein a number of the second plurality of sensors is predetermined.
- 14. The method of claim 12 wherein the sensed information from the second plurality of sensors is assembled into a chromatogram.
- 15. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors are photocell sensors.
- 16. A method for improving a quality of a signal in a fluid-based separation scheme by employing a plurality of stationary sensors, the method comprising:
(a) stopping a fluid solution adjacent to the plurality of stationary sensors; (b) sensing information about the solution with at least some of the plurality of stationary sensors; (c) operating on signals from each of the at least some of the plurality of stationary sensors using an operation selected from a group consisting of integration, summation, and statistical correlation to create a signal with greater signal to noise ratio than any of the individual plurality of signals; and (d) using said signal with greater signal to noise ratio to produce a chromatogram.
- 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of stopping the fluid solution comprises the steps of:
(a) detecting a solvent spike in the solution; (b) tracking said solvent spike as it moves; and (c) stopping the solvent spike in the neighborhood of a predetermined photocell sensor.
- 18. The method of claim 16 wherein a predetermined number of sensors are used as the at least some of the plurality of sensors.
- 19. The method of claim 16 wherein the operated on signals are assembled into a chromatogram.
- 20. The method of claim 16 wherein the plurality of sensors are photocell sensors.
- 21. An apparatus for improving a quality of a signal in a fluid-based separation scheme, the apparatus comprising:
(a) a plurality of stationary sensors for sensing information about a fluid particle; and (b) at least one calculation unit operating on the signals using an operation selected from a group consisting of integration, summation, and statistical correlation to create a signal with greater signal to noise ratio than any of the individual plurality of signals.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein additional information is sensed about a plurality of fluid particles, the apparatus additionally comprising means for combining said additional information to produce a chromatogram.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the fluid particle flows in a capillary tube along which the plurality of sensors is arrayed, and wherein sensing information about a fluid particle with the plurality of stationary sensors is accomplished with apparatus comprising:
(a) a first selector for selecting a first sensor when the fluid particle is located adjacent to said first sensor; and (b) a second selector for selecting a second sensor when the fluid particle is no longer located adjacent to the first sensor but is adjacent to the second sensor.
- 24. The apparatus of claim 23 additionally comprising means for determining the location of the fluid particle by detecting a solvent spike.
- 25. The apparatus of claim 23 additionally comprising a second plurality of sensors to sense information about additional fluid particles during a time when the fluid particle is adjacent to the first sensor.
- 26. The apparatus of claim 25 including means to predetermine a quantity of the second plurality of sensors.
- 27. The apparatus of claim 25 including means for assembling the sensed information from the second plurality of sensors into a chromatogram.
- 28. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the plurality of sensors are photocell sensors.
- 29. An apparatus for improving a quality of a signal in a capillary separation scheme by employing a plurality of stationary sensors, the apparatus comprising:
(a) means for stopping a flow of a solution adjacent to the plurality of stationary sensors; (b) sensors for sensing information about the solution with at least some of the plurality of stationary sensors; and (c) at least one calculation unit operating on signals from each of the at least some of the plurality of stationary sensors using an operation selected from a group consisting of integration, summation, and statistical correlation to create a signal with greater signal to noise ratio than any of the individual plurality of signals.
- 30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein determining an appropriate stopping point for the flow of the solution comprises the steps of:
(a) means for detecting a solvent spike in the solution; (b) means for tracking said solvent spike as it flows; and (c) means for stopping the solvent spike at a predetermined photocell sensor.
- 31. The apparatus of claim 29 including a means for determining a predetermined quantity of sensors to be used as the at least some of the plurality of sensors.
- 32. The apparatus of claim 29 including means to assemble the operated on signals into a chromatogram.
- 33. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the plurality of sensors are photocell sensors.
Parent Case Info
[0001] The present application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/410,373 which is herein incorporated by reference.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10410373 |
Apr 2003 |
US |
Child |
10636153 |
Aug 2003 |
US |