Lablogic Systems has reported that its Hidex 300SL liquid scintillation counter is being utilised by Imperial College London.
The machine is being used primarily for counting tritiated samples and occasionally for 14C, 32P and 35S.
Dr Percy Sumariwalla, senior post-doctoral researcher at Imperial College London, said: 'One feature that we particularly like about the 300SL is its compact footprint.
'We have also found both the software and the machine itself to be very user-friendly.' He added: 'With regard to performance, the greatest improvement is that we can export data files via our network.
'Previously we had access to printed data only, and if we needed to analyse it further using other software packages we had to input the data manually.
'A further advantage is that the 300SL's output is in Excel format, which most people are already familiar with.' Imperial College London has already benefited from another feature of the 300SL - it uses the absolute activity measurement method known as Triple to Double Coincidence Ratio (TDCR), which eliminates the labour associated with setting up a standard radioactivity source.
In the long term this also avoids the safety issues and expense associated with disposal at the end of the counter's useful life.
Even with its 60mm detector shield, the 300SL weighs less than 100kg.
For added convenience, it uses trays that can accommodate the 7ml and 20ml vials used in the latest sample preparation instruments, such as liquid handling stations and cell harvesters.
