The Technology

Autoradiography

Involves the measurement and analysis of samples in the form of flat sheets blotted with radioactive patterns that have been produced by electrophoretic or chromatographic methods.

The traditional method of visualising these patterns is to place the samples in close contact with X-ray films.

An alternative to film is a phosphor plate that is 'developed' after exposure with a laser beam. The MICAD (Microchannel Array Detector) developed by Oxford Positron improves on these two techniques in terms of analysis time and sensitivity.

The software and OCC's involvement

Oxford Computer Consultants participated in the development of a Windows-based application for the analysis of data produced by Oxford Positron's Autograph Camera.

The Windows-based software analyses images and provide quantification of the data without the need for any intermediate step or sample handling.

The hardware

The Autograph Camera for Digital Autoradiography

Developed by Dr Alan Jeavons at Oxford Positron Systems.

A direct, electronic radiation imager which replaces X-ray films for genetics research and biomedical analysis.

Dr Jeavons' invention of MICAD overcame problems of poor spatial resolution or low count sensitivity from the Multi-Wire Proportional Chamber (MWPC) when imaging two-dimensional biomedical samples. With MICAD, it is possible to achieve 10 to 100 times greater sensitivity than is possible with X-ray film or phosphor storage screens.

The pedigree

The technology for the Autograph Camera is based on the Nobel Prize-winning Multi-Wire Proportional Chamber (MWPC) invented in 1968 at CERN by Dr Georges Charpak.