A new accelerator mass spectrometry system for 14C-quantification of biochemical samples

A compact accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) system that meets our requirements for C-14-quantification of biochemical samples is described. The spectrometer occupies approximately 5 m(2) of floor space and can measure >300 samples per day with 3% precision. A long diffuse gas cell is used to destroy interfering molecules and to charge exchange injected negative ions. System sensitivity is <1 amol C-14/mg carbon on milligram-sized samples with a dynamic range that extends over 4 orders magnitude. All components, with the exception of the ion source, are commercially available and the system operates reliably with low maintenance. (Int J Mass Spectrom 218 (2002) 255-264) (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.