Radio-isotope counting system avoids the sequence of time-consuming and potentially hazardous procedures necessary for off-line liquid scintillation counting
LC-Arc from Aim Research is a new radio-isotope counting system for pharmaceutical, agrochemical and environmental HPLC studies that eliminates fraction collection and allows on-line detection of low-level peaks.
Used in conjunction with a conventional radio LC detector, LC-Arc (liquid chromatography accurate radio-isotope counting) employs StopFlow technology to increase sensitivity by 20 times or more, reliably detecting 10-20dpm peaks of 14C or 3H for complex matrices such as animal, plant and soil samples, says Lablogic.
It is programmed to stop the flow at set intervals to count a pre-defined peak, or to count when a peak is detected - a one-step process that avoids the sequence of time-consuming and potentially hazardous procedures necessary for off-line liquid scintillation counting.
As well as achieving lower background, higher sensitivity and sharper peak resolution, LC-ARC has other benefits not available with other methods, such as accurate quantification of volatile metabolites/degradates, accurate column recovery, advanced data evaluation and reporting without any manual operations.
Where necessary, the outgoing flow from the HPLC column can be split between the radio detector and a mass spectrometer to allow simultaneous profiling and identification of radio-labelled compounds.
The whole process can be set up to run overnight, freeing laboratory manpower for other, more demanding tasks.
LC-Arc is available in Europe from LabLogic Systems, which says it has already supplied the product to four companies in the UK and Denmark.
