Concept definitions

This chapter contains explanations and definitions of a number of UNICORN concepts that are used in this manual.

The concepts are organized in alphabetical order.

Systems settings or method instructions specify acceptable limits for monitor signals during a separation run. An Alarm dialog box will be displayed on the screen if the monitored values exceed or fall below specified limits. The system will be paused.

You can perform a Batch run of a number of result files in the Evaluation module. The files do not have to be open and the run operates in the background. The procedure is useful if you want to print a number of results with the same settings, or if you want to perform integration with the same parameter settings on many results.

BufferPrep is a function to prepare a buffer of different pH and salt concentrations online from four stock solutions. This eliminates the need to manually prepare new buffers every time the pH needs to be changed.

Note: BufferPrep is only available for some ÄKTAdesign systems.

A chromatogram can also contain curves that have been created and saved during an evaluation session.

The monitor signals from the chromatography run are displayed graphically as curves.

The program instructions for a chromatography run are defined in a Method. A Method can be divided into blocks that represent steps in the separation process. Each block consists of a series of instructions that request specific operations in the system.

MethodQueues are used to link several methods together, on the same or on different systems.

The Method Wizard is a user-friendly tool to create new methods. The Wizard takes the user step-by-step through the creation process.

Method Wizards are supplied with UNICORN installations for ÄKTAdesign systems.

UNICORN creates Result files when a method is run. The Result files contain:

• Run data from the monitors in the chromatography system.

Example: UV absorbance, flow rate, conductivity etc.

• Documentation from the run.

Example: Logbook entries, calibration settings, scouting parameters, text method etc.

• Saved results from evaluations of the run data.

Example: Peak integrations, simulated peak fractionations etc.

Scouting is used to repeat a series of Method runs automatically with predetermined changes in the values for one or more Variables. A Scouting Scheme is defined as part of the method.

Scouting is used for optimizing chromatographic processes.

Part of the UNICORN software is specific for the system that it is set up to operate. The system specific part is usually referred to as the Strategy. The Strategy defines available method and manual instructions, system settings, run data, curves and Method Wizards.

Templates are basic methods that can be used as a starting point for developing customized methods. The method variables in a suitable Template is adjusted to create a method for another application.

Instruction parameters and values at breakpoints in the Methodmay be defined as Variables. Variables makes it easy to adapt a method to a particular chromatography run.

• A framework Method with default parameters can be changed to create variants.

• A Method can be used in automatic Method Scouting, where one or more parameter Variables are changed systematically.

Systems settings or method instructions specify acceptable limits for monitor signals during a separation run. A Warning dialog box may be displayed on the screen if a specified limit is exceeded. The system will still continue to run after a Warning.