| Developer(s) | Systat Software, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Stable release | 4.1.2 / 2007 |
| Operating system | Windows |
| Type | nonlinear peak separation and analysis software |
| License | proprietary |
| Website | www |
PeakFit is an automated nonlinear peak separation and analysis software package for scientists performing spectroscopy, chromatography and electrophoresis.
Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation. Historically, spectroscopy originated through the study of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, by a prism. Later the concept was expanded greatly to include any interaction with radiative energy as a function of its wavelength or frequency, predominantly in the electromagnetic spectrum, though matter waves and acoustic waves can also be considered forms of radiative energy; recently, with tremendous difficulty, even gravitational waves have been associated with a spectral signature in the context of LIGO and laser interferometry. Spectroscopic data are often represented by an emission spectrum, a plot of the response of interest as a function of wavelength or frequency.
Chromatography is a laboratory technique for the separation of a mixture. The mixture is dissolved in a fluid called the mobile phase, which carries it through a structure holding another material called the stationary phase. The various constituents of the mixture travel at different speeds, causing them to separate. The separation is based on differential partitioning between the mobile and stationary phases. Subtle differences in a compound's partition coefficient result in differential retention on the stationary phase and thus affect the separation.
Electrophoresis is the motion of dispersed particles relative to a fluid under the influence of a spatially uniform electric field. Electrophoresis of positively charged particles (cations) is sometimes called cataphoresis, while electrophoresis of negatively charged particles (anions) is sometimes called anaphoresis.
It automatically finds and fits up to 100 peaks to a data set, at a time, enabling users to characterize peaks and find the best equation that fits their data. PeakFit can also enhance the data obtained from traditional numerical methods and lab instruments.
PeakFit was originally developed by Ron Brown of AISN Software and distributed by Jandel Scientific Software in the late 1980s but by January 2004, Systat Software acquired the exclusive worldwide rights from SPSS Inc. to distribute SigmaPlot and other Sigma Series products. [1]
SPSS Inc. was a software house headquartered in Chicago and incorporated in Delaware, most noted for the proprietary software of the same name SPSS. The company was started in 1968 when Norman Nie, Dale Bent, and Hadlai "Tex" Hull developed and started selling the SPSS software. The company was incorporated in 1975, and Nie served as CEO from 1975 until 1992. Jack Noonan served as CEO from 1992 until the 2009 acquisition of SPSS Inc. by IBM. In 2008 SPSS Inc. had sales of US$302.9 million and over 250,000 customers.
