Abstract: A method to correct signal light intensities measured by a detector of a detection unit in a laboratory instrument is presented. The detection unit comprises a light source, a sample plane comprising a sample holder configured to hold at least one sample vessel comprising a test sample to be illuminated, a reference light sensor, and the detector. Based on a basic light intensity of a newly manufactured light source and an initial light intensity measured by the reference light sensor the sensitivity of the reference light sensor can be determined. And signal light intensities measured by the detector can be corrected based on the determined sensitivity and subsequently measured reference light intensities of the reference light sensor in order to generate comparable test results.

Abstract: A method to correct signal light intensities measured by a detector of a detection unit in a laboratory instrument is presented. The detection unit comprises a light source, a sample plane comprising a sample holder configured to hold at least one sample vessel comprising a test sample to be illuminated, a reference light sensor, and the detector. Based on a basic light intensity of a newly manufactured light source and an initial light intensity measured by the reference light sensor the sensitivity of the reference light sensor can be determined. And signal light intensities measured by the detector can be corrected based on the determined sensitivity and subsequently measured reference light intensities of the reference light sensor in order to generate comparable test results.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for reducing quantification errors caused by an optical artefact in digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) and to a method for determining the amount or concentration of a nucleic acid of interest in a sample with dPCR.