Radiocarbon Ultrasensistive Mass Spectrometry for Biomedical Applications

Overview: The Biomedical Accelerator Mass Spectrometry system (BioAMS) is an ultrasensitive mass spectrometer for the determination of the ratios between the stable isotopes of carbon (¹³C and ¹²C) and the concentration of the radioactive isotope ¹⁴C as an analytical tool for the study of absorption, distribution, metabolism and for the development of radiocarbon-labeled drugs at very low doses. The spectrometer is a new generation AMS system that guarantees very high standards of operation and reliability, reduced measurement times for each individual sample, a high number of measurable samples. The system is manufactured by High Voltage Engineering Europa in the Netherlands.
Workflow:  Organic samples are treated by international protocols based on Acid Alcaline Acide treatments and combusted at high temperature for producing CO₂. In the standard procedure the post combustion step consists of a catalitic reduction in order to transform the CO₂ gas into graphite powders. Solid samples are pressed into special aluminum targets before the introduction into the ion sputter source for stable and radotactive carbon isotopes."