METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DYNAMIC, AUTOMATED DETECTION OF OUTLYING FEATURE AND FEATURE BACKGROUND REGIONS DURING PROCESSING OF DATA SCANNED FROM A CHEMICAL ARRAY

A method and system for employing signal-intensity data contained within areas of a scanned image of a chemical array corresponding to features and feature backgrounds in order to determine whether or not the features or feature backgrounds have non-uniform signal intensities and are thus outlier features and outlier feature backgrounds. A signal intensity variance model is provided to dynamically adjust to the signals read from the scanned image of the array. Calculated variance from measured values of the signal intensities and pixel distributions within a feature or feature background is compared to a maximum allowable variance calculated for the feature or feature background based on the dynamically adjusting signal intensity variance model. When the calculated variance (from the measured values) is less than or equal to the maximum allowable variance, the feature or feature background is considered to have acceptable signal-intensity uniformity. Otherwise, the feature or feature background is flagged as an outlier feature or outlier feature background.