Doses

Quanto does not use an object named DoseGroup. A dose is a named level. The method keeps the names in one list. Each analyte stores the concentration at the levels it uses.

What a dose is

View → Doses in the method editor is the list of level names (L1, L2, IS, and any names you add). Names are unique in the method. IS is reserved. It is the internal-standard level, and its color is light pink when Quanto creates it.

View → Analyte doses is the concentration of one analyte at one of those names. The Use checkbox keeps the stored concentration but leaves the level out of calibration, curves, and reports until you turn it back on.

How samples and analytes are assigned

A sample has one dose name (Dose, or a manual dose name when you override it). That name is matched to the analyte’s dose, ignoring case. The on-column amount is that concentration divided by the sample dilution (dilution below or equal to zero is treated as 1).

When you add a file and the dose is empty, the sample type’s default dose can be copied onto the sample. After that, the sample’s own dose name is what is used.

Method → Create doses from sample dose builds analyte dose rows from the dose names already on the samples.

The reserved name IS is the spike for ISTD and Surrogate analytes. On a target, an IS dose is not subtracted as if it were the target’s native amount.

What uses the dose

• Calibration and QC responses use the dose concentration as the known x on the curve.
• Spike recovery uses the dose as the known addition on a normal curve. The fortified Sample or QC stays in the calibration Cal group. SpikeGroup pairs it with the unspiked vials (no dose) of the same name: RecPct is 100 × (Conc − unspiked reference) / on-column dose. With no SpikeGroup, RecPct is 100 × calculated concentration / on-column dose for ISTD, surrogate, QC, calibration, and a sample that has a dose. See Spike recovery.
• Standard addition uses the dose as the added on-column amount on the addition line (x), for a Cal group whose Mode is Standard addition. See Standard addition.
• The area threshold can be a percent of the response at a named dose (or the lowest dose). See Integration.

Reports can list the names with Q.Doses() and read level fields with Q.Level. See Array functions.

Relation to limit groups and checks

The dose is the known amount. The limit group is the allowed window around the result (recovery, concentration, R²). A dose name does not select a limit group, and a limit group does not select a dose. Checks compare the calculated result with the dose and with the limits. See Checks and Limit groups.