Easy Maltose & Glucose Measurement

The first quick test for maltose and glucose without interference from maltotriose.

Key Features

Accurate

No interferences from maltotriose or other sugars.

Easy

No chemical expertise necessary.

Fast

Measuring time 12 minutes.

Versatile

Measure in the lab or in the production environment.

System Components

Biosensor

Reader

PC Software

Support

The Biosensor

Immobilized enzymes on the sensor surface catalyze the oxidation of target molecules. Single-use strips, factory calibrated.

Why Choose DirectSens® Maltose & Glucose Kit?

Results After 12 Minutes

No calibration work, no cleaning. 

1. Dilute

Prepare buffer dilutions for glucose and maltose.

2. Incubate

Incubate the maltose dilution (10 min. at 53 °C).

3. Scan

Transfer the calibration constants with a QR scan.

4. Measure

Apply maltose and glucose buffer dilutions onto two biosensor strips.

Multiparameter System

We designed our biosensor system for multiparameter capability. The variety of available sensor types will continuously increase over the next years.

Now

Available

  • OatSens®
  • Maltose & Glucose
  • Glucose
2026

Coming Soon

  • Alcohol
  • L-Lactate
2027

Development

  • Fructose
  • Sucrose

Future

Additional parameters will be introduced based on customer needs and emerging biosensor technologies.

Products

Glucose Biosensor Kit

DirectSens®

Maltose & Glucose Biosensor Kit

Measuring Range

Maltose: 1 – 120 g/L
Glucose: 1 – 120 g/L

Applications

Oat, rice, spelt drinks and malt extracts

Included

2 x 25 biosensors, factory calibrated
2 x 1.8 ml glucose buffer
2 x 1.4 ml maltose buffer
2 ml positive control
User manual
Quality assurance certificate
Technical service
Reader T4 Kit

DirectSens®

ReaderKit

Device Type

Compcact

Housing

Robust aluminum

Features

Multi parameter capability
USB data exchange
Robust aluminum housing

Included

Reader
USB A/C cable
Calibration Device (LM10)
External QR code reader
Spare front adapter
Manuals (on USB flash drive)
DirectSens® PC software (on USB flash drive)
Carrying hard case
Coming Soon
Reader T4 Kit

DirectSens®

Reader T4 Kit

Device Type

Handheld (battery)

Housing

Robust aluminum

Features

Touch screen
Intuitive software
Multi parameter capability
Integrated QR code scanner
USB / BT data exchange

Included

Reader
USB A/C cable
Calibration Device (LM10)
Spare front adapter
Manuals (on USB flash drive)
DirectSens® PC software (on USB flash drive)
Carrying hard case

Technical Details

Benefits

The quantification of glucose and maltose in cereal-based samples like oat and rice drinks is challenging because high concentrations of maltotriose and higher glucose oligomers are present which behave chemically similar to maltose. 

The DirectSens® Maltose & Glucose Kit is highly robust against cross sensitivities to maltotriose and other sugars. The following concentrations do not interfere with the measurements: 

  • Maltotriose: 60 g/L 
  • Sucrose: 60 g/L 
  • Fructose: 60 g/L 
  • Lactose: 60 g/L 
  • Raffinose: 10 g/L
     

The calibration of the sensors is done by experts in the factory which enables reliable and accurate measurements and saves working time in the lab.  

Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show the measurement results for glucose and maltose in comparison to HPLC measurement results for different commercial oat and rice drink samples including flavored variants (cocoa, cocos, pumpkin seed, hemp protein). 

The user is led by an intuitive software through a simple measurement procedure. After an initial training on how to use a pipette and how to perform the measurement, anyone can do it – chemical expertise is not needed. Calibration work is not necessary – the sensors come readily factory calibrated. 

After preparation of the stock dilution with deionized water, the whole measurement protocol can be carried out in approximately 12 minutes. 

No lab environment and no lab personnel are required. Just find any space that is large enough to do the dilution and the measurement and ensure that the room temperature stays between 20 – 24 °C (68 – 75 °F).  

After a simple dilution with deionized water, the protocol can be carried out in about 12 minutes. 

A professional QC operation includes periodic check-ups for the system performance. The standard delivery content of each DirectSens® Biosensor setup includes everything that is needed to do this quickly, reliably, easily and fully tracable including electronic reporting. Two check up procedures are supported:  

  1. Measurement performance check: Each Maltose & Glucose Kit comes with a vial of positive control that can be used to check if the measurement is providing valid results for both maltose and glucose.  
  1. Reader performance check: The reader kit includes an electronic reader check device that can be used for periodical checks of the reader performance.   

The reader is maintenance free. If sample liquid accidentally enters the biosensor slot, you can exchange the front part of the reader easily and quickly without the need for service people coming to your place. It´s a simple one-screw operation that anyone can do. 

All measuring and performance check data that was generated using the handheld reader can be quickly transferred to the DirectSens PC software via USB or Bluetooth. The PC software generates xls, csv or pdf files as needed for further data analysis, reporting or LIMS connection.  

The reader fits into the palm of a hand – therefore it does not occupy valuable lab space. Just take it out of the cupboard when you need it. 

The housing is made of massive aluminum and protected by rubber parts. Not easy to destroy.  

We help you to get your measurements right: With product manuals, application notes, tutorial videos, online trainings, technical service, and application support via email, online or phone – fast, competent, and friendly. All services except training are free of charge. 

We work under strict quality control and full ISO 9001 certification to ensure that each product leaves our house in full compliance with the specified performance.  

We are the only producer of food biosensors holding an AOAC OMA and a Nordval certificate (for the LactoSens®). We are aiming for equivalent external certifications also for our newer products in the future 

All liquids involved in the measurement are water based, nontoxic, nonflammable and can after use be disposed of in the wash basin. Wearing gloves is only necessary in case of allergies against ingredients. The biosensor test strips can be disposed of in standard household waste. 

Are you struggling to keep the costs down for your QC operations? Regular measurements not only imply the investment costs for the instrument and the costs per test, but also labor cost, service and maintenance, costs for the lab bench space and delivery costs in case you are sending samples to an external lab.  

In comparison to other methods, DirectSens® Maltose & Glucose is an effective way to save on total costs of operation (TCO) if you have a low to medium sample throughput.

 

Sweetness in Vegan Drinks

During oat or rice drink production, starch molecules are enzymatically converted into short chained dextrins like maltotriose and –tetrose and finally to glucose and maltose. Glucose and maltose define the sugar content that needs to be stated on the product label as part of the nutritional information. Regular monitoring of glucose and maltose therefore is the key to ensure a consistent sweetness profile and to maintain regulatory compliance.  

Areas of Use

Product Development: 
Sweetness is the most critical sensory properties of your product. DirectSens® Maltose & Glucose enables you to leverage the distinct sweetness profiles of maltose and glucose to create exceptionally tasty products. 

Process Optimization: 
Evaluate the impact of various raw materials, enzyme dosages, and processing conditions on your production process.

Production Scale-Up: 
Validate the performance of new production lines as you scale up.  

Batch Release: 
Prevent legal issues and customer complaints by ensuring that every batch of your product is in line with the nutritional information that is stated on the label.  

Free Validation Service

You want to test DirectSens® Glucose & Maltose for your food or beverage samples? Just send us up to three stabilized samples. We measure glucose and maltose with our biosensor system and share the results with you. You can send the same set of samples to a lab for HPLC analysis to have trustable reference results. We offer three analyses per customer free of charge 

Measurement

Verified sample matrices

Oat, rice, and spelt drinks (liquid and powder), malt extracts 

Measuring range glucose

1 – 120 g/L   

Measuring range maltose

1 – 120 g/L   

Repeatability st. dev.  glucose 

≤ 4 % (or 0.24 g/L whichever is greater)

Repeatability st. dev.  maltose 

≤ 6 % (or 0.36 g/L whichever is greater)

Reproducibility st.dev. glucose

≤ 6 % (or 0.36 g/L whichever is greater)

Reproducibility st.dev. maltose 

≤ 8 % (or 0.48 g/L whichever is greater)

Measuring time (after stock dilution) 

12 min. 

Minimum sample amount 

100 µl 

Sample and ambient temperature 

20 – 24 °C (68 – 75 °F) 

Measuring principle 

Electrochemical biosensor 

Environmental / safety hazards

All chemicals are water based,  nontoxic,  nonflammable 

Shelf life of biosensors, buffer and positive control                

12 months at 2 – 8 °C (36 – 46 °F) 

Electrochemical Reader T4

Dimensions 

125 x 65 x 32 mm (4.92 x 2.56 x 1.26 in) 

Housing 

Anodized aluminum with rubber sleeve 

Weight 

407 g 

Display

58 x 44 mm (2.28 x 1.73 in) touch screen 

Battery

Li-Ion rechargeable, ≈ 7 hrs. lifetime   

Data interfaces

USB C, Bluetooth 

PC / Software

PC requirements 

  • Windows 10 or 11
  • 25 MB free hard disk space
  • 1 × free USB A port

Output file formats 

  • XLS
  • CSV
  • PDF 

Additionally Required Materials

Eppendorfer vials, precision pipettes, pipette tips 

Heat block or water bath (53 °C, 127 °F) 

Laptop or PC (specifications above) 

Optional: Vortex mixer 

Manual Maltose & Glucose Biosensor Assay Kit V2.0

Manual DirectSens Reader and Software V1.0

Troubleshooting Guide Maltose & Glucose V1.1

Application Note Maltose & Glucose: Solid Samples V1.0

Application Note Maltose & Glucose: High Density / Viscosity Samples V1.0

Application Note Maltose & Glucose: Extended Measuring Range V1.0

Got Questions?

We've got the answers

Contact us today, and our team will be happy to assist you with personalized support.