In a quantitative determination device 10 for brominated flame-retardant compounds, a storage section 41 holds a relative response factor 411 representing a relationship of a measured intensity of a compared compound to that of a reference compound selected from target compounds. A standard-sample measurer 43 acquires the intensity of the reference compound by measuring a standard sample, using an analyzer 10, 20. A target-sample measurer 45 acquires the intensities of the reference and compared compounds by measuring a target sample, using the analyzer. A reference-compound quantity determiner 46 determines a quantitative value of the reference compound in the target sample. A compared-compound quantity determiner 47 determines a quantitative value of the compared compound based on the quantity of the reference compound in the standard sample, intensity of the reference compound acquired by the standard-sample measurer, intensity of the compared compound acquired by the target-sample measurer, and relative response factor of the compared compound.

Example embodiments provide systems and methods for identifying samples of interests by comparing aligned time-series measurements, For example, the techniques described herein may be used to, among other applications, perform data capture, processing, and analysis of high-throughput capillary electrophoresis data for protein identification. Other applications include analysis of DNA and RNA samples, and/or polysaccharides. Time-series measurements may be collected from an analysis instrument and automatically aligned based, e.g., on peaks in the data. The aligned peaks of test samples and control samples may be programmatically compared to identify samples of interest; in some embodiments, the data peaks may be permitted to float within a predefined window so as to improve the quality of the comparison and provide more meaningful results. The system may generate an output including an identifier of a sample of interest, images of spectral peaks, and/or tables of time-series measurements.

Example embodiments provide systems and methods for identifying samples of interests by comparing aligned time-series measurements, For example, the techniques described herein may be used to, among other applications, perform data capture, processing, and analysis of high-throughput capillary electrophoresis data for protein identification. Other applications include analysis of DNA and RNA samples, and/or polysaccharides. Time-series measurements may be collected from an analysis instrument and automatically aligned based, e.g., on peaks in the data. The aligned peaks of test samples and control samples may be programmatically compared to identify samples of interest; in some embodiments, the data peaks may be permitted to float within a predefined window so as to improve the quality of the comparison and provide more meaningful results. The system may generate an output including an identifier of a sample of interest, images of spectral peaks, and/or tables of time-series measurements.

An analysis device includes a main control circuit, a sub-control circuit, a backup execution part, and a restoration execution part. The main control circuit has a calibration information storage area for storing calibration information unique to the analysis device, and is configured to perform operation control unique to the analysis device using the calibration information. The sub-control circuit is communicable with the main control circuit and has a backup information storage area for storing the same information as the calibration information in the calibration information storage area. The backup execution part is configured to execute backup for storing information same as the calibration information stored in the calibration information storage area in the backup information storage area. The restoration execution part executes restoration for restoring the calibration information in the calibration information storage area based on the backup information stored in the backup information storage area of the sub-control circuit.

A process for identifying an unknown compound in a sample includes matching a peak in a primary Fourier Transform Infrared spectral region of the sample spectrum with reference spectra in the same spectral region to generate an initial list of potential candidates, based, for example on goodness of fit criteria. The initial list can be reduced by retention time information and/or global peak matching techniques that analyze the sample spectrum in regions outside the primary region.

A method is provided for analyzing a sample and identifying species using chromatography and spectrometry. Possible candidate species to be used in a regression analysis are selected for consideration based on their retention indices in a chromatography column and peak locations in an infrared spectrum. By using such a selection process, the number of combinations of species to be used in the regression analysis can be significantly reduced. The species and respective concentrations in the sample are identified by using an iterative process with regression analysis and minimizing least squares errors between a sample spectrum and a computed spectrum associated with selected candidate species.

A first chromatogram is obtained by analyzing a second standard sample by size exclusion chromatography analysis using a first detector. Also, a second chromatogram is obtained by analyzing a solvent for the second standard sample by size exclusion chromatography analysis using the first detector. Then, from the difference between the first chromatogram and the second chromatogram, a third elution time in size exclusion chromatography analysis of the second standard sample using the first detector is determined.

A process for identifying an unknown compound in a sample includes matching a peak in a primary Fourier Transform Infrared spectral region of the sample spectrum with reference spectra in the same spectral region to generate an initial list of potential candidates, based, for example on goodness of fit criteria. The initial list can be reduced by retention time information and/or global peak matching techniques that analyze the sample spectrum in regions outside the primary region.

A method for reducing the variability, as measured by relative standard deviation (RSD), of an analytical testing technique is provided. This improvement in RSD improves the confidence in the values obtained during field testing. The method includes incorporating a focusing agent into the sampling media, which permits providing sampling media such as thermal desorption tubes preloaded with the focusing agent.

A method for reducing the variability, as measured by relative standard deviation (RSD), of an analytical testing technique is provided. This improvement in RSD improves the confidence in the values obtained during field testing. The method includes incorporating a focusing agent into the sampling media, which permits providing sampling media such as thermal desorption tubes preloaded with the focusing agent.