TLC Wizard

Purpose and use

The device provides easy and accurate measurement of the relative activity distribution along the length of a chromatography strip. The result is displayed simultaneously as a percentage in the regions of interest (ROI) and as a graph. Automatic background detection (with the option of manual adjustment) ensures that the results are not falsely negative.

The measurement procedure and calculation formula can be pre-defined for each kit according to the product manufacturer’s requirements. The software supports custom settings using the multiple-strip method and calculation of multiple ROIs. The entire measurement procedure can be saved as a preset for daily routine measurements.

The measured length is up to 200 mm (150 mm in the standard version).

Design

The heart of the TLC Wizard is a scintillation detector located in a tungsten collimator. The slot through which the detector is exposed to the measured activity is 2 × 20 mm with a variable depth of 6, 12 or 18 mm; changing the setting takes max. 20 s. This enables measurement of a wide range of activities and energies, from very low activities of ^99mTc up to high activities of ⁶⁸Ga.

The simply shaped body coated with durable 2K paint and the glass working surface provide excellent cleanability and allow wet strips to be measured, so there is no need to waste time drying chromatography strips. Daily QC can be performed automatically with the built-in check source in just two clicks.

Cover and colour versions

The cover of the device is made of carbon-fibre laminate and can be supplied in different colour versions – from pure white through any RAL colour to visible carbon. Every colour version has a white band carrying the Lynax logo, and the rating plate is on the rear side.

Colours shown are indicative.

Principle of operation

The detector is located inside a two-part tungsten collimator. In the basic setup, the primary collimator has a slot 2 × 20 mm wide and 6 mm deep. This restricts the radiation emitted by the activity on the strip to a narrow beam, resulting in high resolution (typically 2 mm) and sharp peaks. The collimation can be further adjusted by additional collimation inserts, which increase the collimated distance from the strip in two steps of 6 mm each.

The secondary collimator provides sufficient shielding of the detector to prevent background from affecting the measurement quality.

The collimator/detector assembly travels 0.5 mm below the glass top surface. With the glass itself being 1 mm thick, the total distance of the collimator from the measured strip is only 1.5 mm. This minimal distance further helps to reduce measurement inaccuracy caused by a larger distance and limited collimation in standard solutions.

Depending on the software settings, the measuring assembly moves in defined steps from the start to the end of the strip, measuring the activity at each position. Default setting: 4 mm steps, each measured for 5 s, so one measurement of a 150 mm strip takes just over 3 minutes. All settings can be customised.