Microptix Technologies has developed a portable, hand-held spectrometer that can determine alcohol concentration within minutes. The new patent-pending technology allows users to acquire alcohol by volume (ABV) measurements within minutes by dipping a test strip in an alcohol-containing liquid and then measuring the colour change of the strip.
The test strips are coated with alcohol peroxidase and a colorant that turns blue upon exposure to alcohol. The strip colour is then measured using a special adapter connected to one of the company's i-LAB spectrometers. The display is presented to the user in terms of alcohol percentage. Applications include the beverage markets (beer, wine, and liquor), ethanol in gasoline and the biofuels industries, and miscellaneous alcohol-containing materials.