An ion source for the HVEE 14C isotope ratio mass spectrometer for biomedical applications

During the past two decades, accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) has allowed major developments in many areas of geosciences and archaeology. In the near future, AMS should realize a similar potential in the field of biomedical research, leading ultimately to clinical applications. For such applications, the required instrument differs significantly from that presently used in the field of C-14 dating. Whereas the needed accuracy and sensitivity is more than an order of magnitude less demanding than that for present state-of-the-art C-14 instrumentation, the widespread acceptance of C-14 AMS in biomedical research will require AMS spectrometers that are small, simple to operate and capable of handling CO2 samples. In order to satisfy these demands, HVEE has developed a compact C-14 AMS spectrometer dedicated to biomedical research. The instrument consists of a compact accelerator with a footprint of 2.25 x 1.25 m and an ion source that features direct CO2 acceptance and optimal user friendliness. Having previously described the layout and design of the accelerator, we here discuss progress on the accelerator and present the design and first results of the CO2 ion source.