POSITION-SENSITIVE SCINTILLATION FLOW COUNTER

A NOVEL PRINCIPLE FOR SIMULTANEOUS SCINTILLATION COUNTING OF MULTIPLE RADIOACTIVE SAMPLES IS PROPOSED. THE IMMEDIATE GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO CONSTRUCT AND TEST A SIX-SAMPLE PROTOTYPE DEVICE TO PROVE THE PRACTICAL APPLICABILITY OF THE PRINCIPLE INVOLVED. THE LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO DEVELOP A DEVICE THAT CAN MEASURE SIMULTANEOUSLY THE RADIOACTIVITY IN MORE THAN 100 LIQUID SCINTILLATION SAMPLES. SUCH A DEVICE WOULD LOWER THE COST PER MINUTE OF COUNTING RADIOACTIVE SAMPLES. CONSEQUENTLY, MORE SAMPLES CAN BE MEASURED FOR THE SAME COST AND LOWER LEVELS OF RADIOACTIVITY CAN BE USED, REDUCING SAMPLE SIZE AND THE AMOUNT OF RADIOACTIVITY REQUIRED. THIS WILL DECREASE THE HAZARD TO LABORATORY PERSONNEL, REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION, AND LOWER THE COST OF DISPOSAL. THIS INNOVATION HAS APPLICATION TO ALL SECTORS OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH.