FAQs:
Frequently asked questions regarding the Sentia Analyzer™

Sentia measures free sulfur dioxide, malic acid, glucose, fructose, titratable acidity and acetic acid in the winery.

Sentia™ has regulatory approval in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe (EU), Israel, South Africa, Chile, and the United States of America.

Sentia™ is truly portable. It has the same form factor as a typical smartphone so it will even fit in your pocket. You can use Sentia™ wherever you need a test result.

No sample preparation is required for free SO2 and glucose methods. Simply apply a drop of red or white wine to the test strip when prompted by the Sentia Analyzer.
 
Malic acid, fructose and acetic acid methods require a simple pre-dilution with a specific diluent.
 
See https://www.universalbiosensors.com/products/sentia/resources/ for further information.

Free SO2, glucose, malic acid and titratable acidity Sentia methods provide a result in less than one minute of sample application.
 Fructose and acetic acid Sentia methods provide a result in 2 and 3.5 minutes respectively after sample application.

Yes. Sentia™ stores up to 1000 results in its memory and can export those results over Wi-Fi.

You can export your past results from Sentia™ over Wi-Fi to your computer in CSV format. You can then import the data into a spreadsheet in order to analyze, sort and filter your results.

Sentia™ is able to run tests without a Wi-Fi connection. You will need to have a Wi-Fi connection when you first use Sentia™ so that you can register and download strip data from the internet. After that, you will need to connect once every three months or so to download the latest data for new strips made at our production facility. However, we recommend that you stay connected to Wi-Fi as often as possible so that your software can be upgraded when a new version is available.

Sentia has been designed for the analysis of grape based wine. If you want to test another beverage, we recommend that you cross-check the results you get from Sentia with another independent method.

Sentia™ contains a fully enclosed rechargeable battery and comes with a power adaptor.

Sentia™ can run at least 100 free SO₂ tests between battery charges. Charging the battery is as simple as plugging in the power adaptor (provided).

Sentia™ will automatically check for software upgrades whenever it is connected to the internet (via Wi-Fi). If an upgrade is available, Sentia™ will perform the upgrade (after confirming with you that it is a good time to do so).

To find your local distributor, check the Sentia™ distributors page. If there is no distributor in your country yet, please contact us directly.

Yes, we warrant that this product will operate substantially in conformance with UBS’s published specifications, when subject to normal, proper and intended usage by properly trained personnel, for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of shipment to the customer. Lamps, fuses, bulbs and other expendable items are expressly excluded from the warranty. The warranty period for spare parts for this product is three (3) months from the date of shipment to the customer. UBS does not warrant that the operation of this product will be uninterrupted, error-free or will accomplish any particular result.
 The Warranty is given to the original customer only and, subject to applicable law, is not assignable or transferable.

If you need technical support, start with your local distributor or supplier. To find your local distributor, check the Sentia website

https://sentiaanalysis.com/distributors/

As a laboratory analytical tool, this meter has been designed to be splash proof during normal use in a winery.  It is not however able to be submerged in liquid.

For titratable acidity measurements on wine, it is recommended to degas the wine before analysis. For glucose, fructose, malic acid and acetic acid, wine samples which show visible effervescence are recommended to be degassed before testing to avoid reporting of any erroneous results. To degas your sample, we recommend sonicating or shaking the wine in a vessel for at least 10 seconds and allowing to vent. Note: It is NOT recommended to degas samples prior to Free SO2 analysis.

No, you do not need to perform any calibrations whilst using Sentia. Universal Biosensors handles not only the production of the strips onsite at their ISO 13485 and ISO 9001-certified facility, but also the required calibration and quality assurance of the strips.

Upon completion, each batch of strips is given a unique index number which when typed into the device, downloads the calibration data assigned to that lot number of strips to ensure accurate analysis.

The Sentia hardware is built to the highest standards to withstand normal ‘wear and tear’. For extra reassurance please consider the protective case which comes with a lanyard and keyboard stylus.

The Universal Biosensors team tests and confirms that interferences of compounds found at the typical ranges found in wines, were not interfering with the result before release of any new test strips.

Titratable acidity measuring norms are country dependent.  If you reside in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the United States or Canada, the convention is to measure titratable acidity at pH 8.20.  If in Europe, the convention is to measure titratable acidity at pH 7.00. 

Most titratable acids found in wine will be captured (as protons) when titrated with a strong base to pH 7.00.  Some additional protons however can often be captured if we extend the endpoint to pH 8.20.  Titratable acidity values taken at pH 8.20 versus pH 7.00 are typically 5-10% higher.