Abstract: A high speed method is described for analyzing a plurality of individual blood samples to determine characteristics therein indicative of hemoglobin variant(s), while also quantifying the amounts of important A2 and F hemoglobins therein. The method involves analysis of a respective blood sample by passing it through an HPLC column (preferably a polyaspartic acid cation exchange column), eluting hemoglobin species using an eluant stream passing through the column, and characterizing eluted species as a function of their respective adsorbance values and retention times; the characterizing step further includes quantification of the amounts of A2 and F hemoglobins in the sample. The foregoing analysis is repeated for each of the plurality of blood samples, wherein the total time between successive analyses is up to about 7 minutes, and more preferably up to about 5.5 minutes.