Automatic calculation of specific activities from liquid scintillation counter data using a desk-top computer

Abstract

A desk-top computer is used to calculate the absolute specific activities of batches of chemicals routinely in a central assay laboratory of a manufacturer of labeled chemicals. Errors and operator fatigue were reduced and reporting was speeded out due mainly to the elimination of hand-transcribing of results. Other advantages were that tedious calculations of the absolute activities of double-labeled compounds were as easy to perform as for single-labeled compounds, and that samples having identical dilution parameters can be calculated without any manual manipulation at all. Programming methods are explained.