Universal Biosensors
Sentia™ Analyzer
2021
Research, Concept + Development
Sentia™ Analyzer
The power of a lab, in the palm of your hand. Sentia™ measures free SO₂ in post-fermentation red or white wine.
Sentia™ is a hand-held, portable testing device that will change the nature of laboratory testing in the wine industry. Unlike the vast majority of wine production analysis which is performed on benchtop instruments in lab environments, the Sentia™ Analyser is designed for ultra-convenient use in the winery, at the barrel, and the tank, saving time and money. Powered by Universal Biosensors (UBI) medical-grade biosensor technology, the Sentia™ Analyzer measures free SO₂ (free sulfur dioxide) in post-fermentation red or white wine. Performing tests with Sentia™ is simple + almost instantaneous, requiring just a few steps, automatic calibration, and no reagents. Sentia™ makes it easy to get test results, wherever, whenever, in under 60 seconds.
Sentia™ has regulatory approval in Australia, Canada, Europe (EU) and the United States of America. Universal Biosensors is currently working on additional key wine analysis tests to expand the Sentia™ Analyser Platform.
Above: Image © Universal Biosensors (UBI)
Rapid results in less than a minute.
New applications for new markets.
Design Challenge: Revolutionise the free SO₂ testing process for winemakers with UBI medical grade biosensor and test strip technology.
Building on the successful development by Universal Biosensors (UBI) of a previous analyzer device (Blood Analysis: Xprecia Stride™), UBI sought to extend the application of the company’s unique medical grade biosensor and test strip technology beyond that of the medical industry and into new markets. The wine industry was identified as a major global market that could benefit from niche-specific applications of UBI technologies - an opportunity to revolutionize the SO₂ (free sulfur dioxide) testing process for winemakers. The challenge was to develop this technology into a small hand-held smart device that would enable rapid on-the-spot testing and near-instant free SO₂ results from a single drop of post-fermentation wine.
The device needed to be reliable, convenient, easy-to-use by personnel without the requirement for specialist skills and eliminate the outdated approach requiring sample collection and extended wait times for results.
External validation studies of the UBI free SO₂ test technology were undertaken by two of the world’s most pre-eminent wine research institutions to verify the testing technology and ensure that the precision and accuracy are comparable to that of the current established laboratory and winery methods (i.e. Aeration Oxidation method).
Accurate at-barrel testing.
Design Solution: The world's first genuine ‘at-barrel’ testing solution of free SO₂ concentrations in post-fermentation wine samples.
Sentia™ eliminates the current slow and inconvenient process of manual sample collection, packaging, posting, and waiting for large commercial labs to perform tests and provide results. Sentia™ is the culmination of over 15 years of innovation and refinement utilizing the design expertise of Universal Biosensors. The system consists of the Analyzer and the consumable Test Strips (sold separately) which have been designed and developed using Universal Biosensors’ pedigree of medical device expertise. Sentia™ has been refined into an ergonomic 'jet black glossy' hand-held testing device that has been designed for robustness in a wide range of wine production environments. The Sentia™ system delivers significant cost savings and productivity gains to wine producers of all sizes, translating straight back into the bottom line.
The Sentia™ Analyser system enables anyone in the winery to confidently use the test at the point-of-use to monitor free SO₂ concentrations in post-fermentation red or white wine samples. Sentia™ requires no messy reagents; all elements are packaged into the Test Strip. Sentia™ calibrates automatically: calibration data is automatically and seamlessly transferred to the Analyzer by Wi-Fi as each batch of Test Strips is manufactured at Universal Biosensors. In-built quality control checks (i.e. temperature monitoring, strip integrity checks, sample application checks, analyzer tilt + bump) ensure reliable test results.
External validation studies of the Sentia™ system have verified results as well within laboratory industry standard acceptance precision, comparable to that of current established laboratory and winery methods.
Below: Image © Universal Biosensors (UBI)
