New liquid scintillation counter needs no radioactivity source

30/05/2008

The new 300 SL liquid scintillation counter from LabLogic Systems does away with the need to have a standard source of radioactivity to compensate for the quench phenomenon for pure beta emitters.

It is the first commercially available instrument of its kind to use the absolute activity measurement method known as Triple to Double Coincidence Ratio (TDCR) technology, which eliminates the labour associated with setting up a standard source and the safety issues and expense of disposing of it at the end of the counter's useful life.

The 300 SL is a compact instrument with an exceptionally small footprint (50 cm wide x 60 cm deep x 65 cm high) that can easily be integrated into laboratories with limited bench space.

Even with its 60 mm detector shield, it weighs less than 100 kg, and it uses unique trays accommodating 7 ml and 20 ml vials that can be used in sample preparation instruments such as liquid handling stations or cell harvesters.

Optional features include alpha/beta separation, cooling-down to 15 degrees Celsius, an active guard for background reduction and an external standard for traditional quench determination.