Redondo Beach, California - August 27, 2007 –The quality and health benefits of beverages such as wine and tea are associated with the anti-oxidant properties of naturally occurring phenolic compounds. Measurement of these strongly UV absorbing components is not possible without dilution using a standard cuvette, complicating the routine determination of a large number of samples, and potentially altering the results.

The 250 micron path length SpecVette permits measurement of red wine samples across the entire spectrum, from 220 to 900 nm, in a single disposable cuvette. With the high resolution (.02 nm) and rapid spectral averaging possible with Ocean Optics HR4000 spectrometer, errors of 2% or less are possible, permitting multi-component analysis of samples of interest.

“Working with winemakers and in partnership with Ocean Optics, we developed a short path cuvette that meets the needs of winemakers and researchers in enology and viticulture“, explained Dr. Leanna Levine, CEO and Founder of ALine, “As with all of our custom products, we work closely with our customers to develop bioanalytical solutions, in this case, a high quality and cost effective device for researching or benchmarking the phenolics in red wine using a simple spectroscopic method.”

ALine’s short path SpecVette is available in 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0 mm path lengths, useful for a variety of sample types. The cuvettes are easily filled by capillary action using a simple disposable dropper or they can be filled and aspirated using a 20- 200 uL pipetter. The SpecVette slides into a 1 cm x 1 cm sample holder for use in a standard spectrometer. The SpecVette is UV transparent, and disposable so that no cleaning is required, and no chance of introducing contamination to ruin results.

A selector guide for a wide range of ALine’s custom “Build-Your-Own-Cuvettes” ™ is now available on the ALine web site. Consult with ALine for additional configurations.

· SpecVette application note for UV-VIS Spectroscopy of Red Wines
· Custom Bio Micro Cuvette Selector Guide

Press Contact:
Dr. Leanna Levine
Email
Phone: 310-707-8575