Use of silicon and GaAs pixel detectors for digital autoradiography

Solid state detectors made of Si (4.8/spl times/8 mm/sup 2/) and GaAs (6.4/spl times/8 mm/sup 2/) pixel matrices bump-bonded to the Omega2 and Omega3 electronic read-out systems, developed at CERN for H.E.P. experiments, have been used to obtain autoradiographic images of clusters of human epithelial cells and DNA fragments separated via electrophoresis, both labeled with /sup 32/P. The system has shown a good minimum detectable activity per unit area of 2.10/sup -4/ cps mm/sup -2/, and has proved linear for a count rate in the range 0.2-20 cpa, typical of autoradiography. The pixel dimensions are 75/spl times/500 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ (Si-Omega2) and 50/spl times/500 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ (GaAs-Omega3), respectively. We are able to clearly localize clusters of cells which have incorporated the radioactive tracer and DNA fragments on an electrophoretic gel on paper (blots).