Hidex ULLA Ultra Low Level Analyzer

The Ultimate Ultra Low Level Analyzer

Hidex has served the liquid scintillation counting community for three decades. In recent years, the global market has been missing a true ultra low level LSC that would meet the most demanding needs. Applications in hydrogeology when mapping the global clean water resources, detection of biogenic carbon content in materials or measuring trace concentrations of alpha and beta isotopes in soil, food and drinking water require absolute accuracy and precision. Hidex ULLA combines existing technology, latest innovation and modern usability.

Ultra low background and triple coincidence detector

Low background is achieved with heavy passive lead shield and geometrically optimal active guard, which surrounds modern triple-PMT detector facilitating exceptionally high counting efficiency, luminescence free counting, and absolute activity counting by TDCR technique familiar from isotope metrology.

Vials are deionized prior to loading to remove static electricity. Cooling modules maintain the samples stable and in optimum temperature for highest counting efficiency, and detector can be flushed with nitrogen to remove Rn-222 gas often found in underground laboratories.

Exceptionally high counting efficiency

The Hidex ULLA utilizes three PMTs aligned at 120° from each other. Optimum detection geometry yields in better detection geometry than conventional double coincidence detector. And the more there is quenching, the greater the advantage of triple coincidence detector.

Example: Efficiency for 3H (in 20 ml vials)

Quench correction with TDCR

The detector with 3 PMTs enable TDCR, which is an absolute counting method for obtaining counting efficiency of the samples without external or internal standard sources. Unlike external standard methods, TDCR is a universal method applicable for both chemical and color quenching, for both aqueous and organic samples and for different cocktails and range of isotopes. TDCR method can be used for counting of typical beta isotopes and also for absolute activity determination of Cherenkov radiation for example from 90Y/90Sr.

External Eu-152 standard source is available as an option for conventional quench correction. Alternatively, it is possible to use QPC method, which uses natural cosmic radiation as the external radioactive source instead of built in gamma source.

Luminescence free counting

The Hidex ULLA can be used in triple coincidence mode only, which removes interference from chemiluminescence and reduces the effect of other low energy noise events. Samples with long luminescence decay such as 14C in NaOH can be counted immediately without the need to dark adapt.

Alpha/beta separation

Alpha beta separation is available as an option on the Hidex ULLA. Unique Hidex alpha beta separation electronics with 3D graphical AB-calibration tool facilitates reliable and sensitive detection of alpha isotopes in the presence of beta isotopes. Calibration and results validation can be done using convenient 2D/3D spectrum analysis tool without laborious and isotope specific misclassification run. Separation works even for unknown mixture of alpha and beta isotopes.

Digital Pb shield and Hidex biofuel method

Digital Pb to decrease background uncertainty and biofuel method to find background count rate for samples when similar blank is not available.

Ideal for:

• H-3 in water

• C-14 dating

• Detection of biogenic carbon content in materials such as fuels with patented Hidex biofuel method

• Alpha and beta isotopes in soil, food and drinking water

Hidex VALO user software

VALO is a modern user-friendly software designed specifically for Hidex automatic LSC. The development was based on user feedback with special attention on usability –from building up the methods, to loading of samples, to evaluation of the results.

The features include automatic extensive data reduction capabilities, including quench curve analysis, half-life correction, and reprocessing of data with new energy region of interest (ROI) and alpha/beta discriminator without remeasuring the samples. The software is designed for a multiuser environment, enabling unlimited number of methods for different isotopes and easy data export to Excel or other programs. Users can add samples with new methods, and high priority samples while the instrument is counting. A 21 CFR Part 11 compliant version of VALO is also available.

Technical data