Starna Scientific is a premier British manufacturer of precision optical components and certified reference materials, headquartered in Hainault, London. Founded in 1964 (originally as Optiglass), the company has spent over 60 years fulfilling its mission to provide "Excellence in Spectroscopy through Optical Perfection," becoming the global benchmark for analytical accessory manufacturing. Starna is internationally renowned for its pioneering heat-fusion technology, which allows for the creation of spectrophotometer cells without the use of adhesives or resins that could contaminate sensitive samples. By maintaining one of the world's most extensive scopes of ISO 17025 and ISO 17034 accreditations, the brand ensures that its reference materials provide total traceability to NIST primary standards. Today, Starna Scientific is an essential partner for pharmaceutical, clinical, and environmental laboratories worldwide, delivering British-engineered excellence that ensures absolute data integrity and instrument validation.
The Starna Scientific range at LabFriend features professional analytical measurement solutions, headlined by their world-standard quartz and glass cuvettes. These cells are essential for UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, offering unmatched optical clarity and chemical resistance. For specialized instrument qualification, the brand provides advanced spectroscopy support through their range of Certified Reference Materials (CRMs), including potassium dichromate and holmium oxide filters for wavelength and absorbance validation. Their portfolio also encompasses essential general laboratory aids, featuring micro-volume cells, flow cells for chromatography, and specialized anaerobic cells with screw-cap closures. To support high-throughput bio-analysis, Starna offers the DMV-Bio Cell for ultra-low volume nucleic acid quantification. By choosing Starna Scientific through LabFriend, you benefit from competitive pricing and fast shipping on premium optical technology designed for professional longevity.
Why Choose Starna Scientific for Your Laboratory?
- Fully Fused Construction: Unlike glued alternatives, Starna cells are heat-fused into a single homogeneous entity, ensuring they are resistant to all solvents and will never leak or distort.
- Traceable Calibration: As an accredited Reference Material Producer, Starna provides CRMs that are fully traceable to national standards (NIST), essential for GLP/GMP compliance and regulatory audits.
- Superior Optical Materials: From Spectrosil® Quartz for deep UV work to Infrasil® for NIR applications, Starna uses only the highest grades of optical glass to ensure maximum transmission and minimal stray light.
- Lifetime Guarantee: Starna stands behind its craftsmanship with a lifetime guarantee against faulty workmanship, reflecting their confidence in their heat-fusion and annealing processes.
- Widest Accreditation Scope: Their calibration laboratory holds the broadest scope of accreditation in the industry, covering a vast range of wavelengths and absorbance values for comprehensive instrument qualification.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How should I clean my Starna quartz cuvettes?
Cuvettes should be cleaned using specialized laboratory detergents (like Starna CellClean) or high-purity solvents. Avoid using ultrasonic baths or abrasive tools, as these can damage the polished optical surfaces.
2. How often should Starna Reference Materials be re-certified?
To maintain the validity of their calibration according to international standards and the Starna lifetime guarantee, reference materials should generally be re-certified every two years.
3. Can Starna cells be used with aggressive acids?
Yes, because they are fully fused, Starna cells are resistant to almost all acids and solvents. However, hydrofluoric acid (HF) should be avoided as it will chemically etch and destroy the quartz glass.
4. What is the "Z" dimension and why does it matter?
The "Z" dimension is the height of the light beam from the bottom of the cell holder. Choosing a cell with the correct Z-dimension (e.g., 8.5mm, 15mm, or 20mm) ensures the light beam passes exactly through the center of the sample window.
