FAQs
Frequently asked questions about iST Jobst, our portfolio and services
Customer support
Contact: How can I reach iST Jobst?
Call us, visit us, write an eMail to or fill in the contact form below.
You will find all contact details at “Contact“
Distributors: Are there any resellers in my area?
Offline: Where can I meet iST Jobst
Jobst Technologies regularly participates in international conferences, trade fairs, and industry events throughout the year. For details on upcoming appearances and opportunities to connect with our team, check our Events site for upcoming offline appearances.
About iST Jobst
Company History: Who is iST Jobst?
iST Jobst was founded as Jobst Technologies GmbH in 2002 in Freiburg, Germany. As the first spin-off of the Institute for Microsystem Technology (IMTEK) at the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, the company established itself as a pioneer in biosensor innovations.
In 2015, founder Gerhard Jobst sold the company to Innovative Sensor Technology IST AG, a globally recognized manufacturer of sensor components.
Since 2025, we operate under the brand name iST Jobst, as part of the iST Group, continuing our commitment to excellence in biosensor technology.
About our sensors and services
Handling: What is the correct way to handle our biosensors?
Our enzymatic biosensors contain immobilized enzymes on platinum electrodes. They provide continuous metabolic readout in a wide variety of liquids like whole blood, cell culture media, perfusion media and others.
Operation is only to be done in pH-buffered medium between 5 < pH < 9, ideally at pH = 7.4.
Buffers known to work very good for the purpose are Hydrogencarbonate, Imidazol, and acetate. Very poor works phosphate buffered saline solution. HEPES is working well with at least 1g/l added Sodium Hydrogencarbonate.
Adverse effects with weak buffer systems are seen above certain concentrations only. Such effects can be very severe when continuously monitoring with the sensors at high analyte concentration and will take time to fully establish.
Furthermore, a minimum chloride concentration between 80 mM and 120 mM is necessary for long term sensor operation.
The sensors also rely on the supply of a minimum amount of oxygen since oxygen is consumed in the enzymatic reaction. Oxygen concentrations above 5 % (equivalent to ambient air) will ensure safe and linear analyte response.
For optimal shelf live, the biosensors should be stored in a dry (desiccated) environment between 4°C and 28 °C without exposure to sunlight and UV light sources. Special care is to be taken as not to expose the sensors to temperatures outside this range e.g., during transport.
Performance: What measurement ranges are iST Jobst biosensors covering?
Our enzymatic biosensors can measure directly in relevant media like whole blood, cell culture media, perfusion media including various buffer systems like acetate, bicarbonate, HEPES and others.
In such media, our sensors offer linear response to most physiologically relevant analyte concentrations.
Within our in-house testing with acetate buffer at 37°C we validate for the following linear ranges of our standard-range membrane technology:
Glucose: 0.05 mM – 25 mM (0.01 – 4.5 g/l)
Lactate: 0.02 mM – 15 mM (0.002 – 1.5 g/l)
Glutamine: 0.04 mM – 20 mM (0.006 – 3 g/l)
Glutamate: 0.04 mM – 10 mM (0.006 – 1.5 g/l)
Other membrane technologies are tailored to better performance at lower or higher concentration ranges. Contact us for more information.
Features: What makes iST Jobst biosensors unique?
Our enzymatic biosensors offer a unique combination of features that contribute to a successfull, reliable and robust monitoring of metabolic parameters in real world liquid media. Our long-term operational stability with extremely low sensitivity drift per day combined with the fast sensor respone and quick hydration is enabled by in-house know-how and know-why of the necessary biochemistry, enzyme immobilization and MEMS multilayer sensor construction.
In operation, our micro-miniaturized sensors provide multi-analyte crosssensitivity-free readout, zero-intercept signal generation and single-point calibration. Combined with long shelf live and dry storage capability our sensors are product-ready for OEM implementation.
Features: What analytes does iST Jobst biosensors cover?
We offer label-free continuous biosensors for the analyzis and monitoring of metabolic parameters, specifically glucose, lactate, glutamine and glutamate. Further sensor offerings are dissolved oxygen monitoring, creatinine, pyruvate and others. Contact us for more information and tailored solutions.
Do you offer customized sensors and R&D services?
We offer our services throughout the whole biosensor design and manufacturing chain. As component supplier to OEM customers we offer fast turnaround times on customized sensor solutions and can combine our USPs to generate the right sensor for your application. Since the companies inception in 2002 we are part of European Commission publicly funded research projects, initiatives and consortiums as well as industry-led R&D projects and join forces with our partners and customers to bring forward much needed innovations in medical devices and bioprocessing to serve patients in need.
Contact us for more information and tailored solutions.
About using the biosensors
Usage: How do I start using the sensors?
The biosensors by Jobst Technologies can measure directly in pH-buffered liquid media. We offer evaluation kits both with flow-through sensors as well as probe-type sensors and plug-and-play evaluation kits.
Typically no sample preparation is necessary. Evaluation kits and free to use software can be provided via Quote directly through us or our distributors.
Please follow the instructions and videos on support site and Contact us for more information and support.
Usage: How do I know the biosensor is still working?
The applicable shelf life of your biosensor is mentioned on the packaging. We provide the biosensors with two years of shelf life from manufacturing and a minimal shelf life from delivery of 6 months.
The use-life in application is dependent on multiple factors, namely: the type and strength of the utilized pH buffer system, the integral in analyte concentration over time, the medium temperature and others. Typical values are 100 to 1000s of measurements in analyzer scenarios and weeks to months of continuous operation.
A properly working sensor shall feature a sensitivity of at least 75% of the initial nA/mM response and a still valid linear range of the respective analyte.
Contact us for more information about shelf life and expected in-use life times for your application.
Usage: Can I integrate the biosensors in my code and instrumentation?
As biosensor component provider we strive on enabling our customers in each and every way to operate and read out our transmitters and instrumentation.
Our documented and actively supported software platform is bioMon in combination with our Six_Server.
Additionally, we provide a documented API to read out the 25 byte raw data telegram ouf our SIX transmitter both in its USB as well as UART OEM version. Upon request via the contact form we can provide .py python, arduino and visual basic code snippets as well as LabView .vi driver files. Please also visit our GitHub page for open-source docuemted and provided GUI and readout code.
Usage: What instrumentation do I need to operate the biosensors?
Our biosensors work via 3-electrode amperometric read-out at a fixed V(WE-RE) at 450 mV using the sensor built-in Ag/AgCl pseudo-reference electrode.
The B.IV4 single analyte sensors feature one analyte-specific working electrode as well as one blank working electrode for background subtraction. Our B.LV5 multi-analyte sensors feature four analyte-specific working electrodes and two blank working electrodes totalling up to six working electrodes for amperometric readout.
We provide screw-terminal adapters as well as PalmSens Sensit, PalmSens SPE and PalmSen EmStat4T compatible adapters.
Our own SIX Transmitter instrumentation device features six amperometric read-out channels, one CE and one RE connection and offers ultra-low noise robust 3-electrode readout specifically tailored and optimized for our biosensors. All our biosensors types including B.IV4 as well as B.LV5 are compatible directly with the SIX Transmitter or come with an adapter cable to fit the re-usable electronic transmitter unit.
Usage: What additional material do I need to operate the biosensors?
Our biosensors are directly compatible to a wide variety of physiologically relevant media and typically do not need sample mixing, preparation, staining or other pre-processing. Our probe-type sensors can be dipped in directly in media. Our flow-through-type sensors can be sourced by any pump giving flow rates in the ranges according to the respective data sheets.
Automatic or manual calibration can be performed either by a known starting concentration of the medium, by measurement of a calibration standard or via calibration to a read-out of a reference analyzer.
A suitable calibration medium shall be as close in composition as possible to the medium under test and shall feature a known concentration of the analytes the sensor shall be calibrated to.
Application: How do I integrate the biosensors in my system?
The biosensors by Jobst Technologies can operate in a variety of fluidic integration scenarios. Our flow-through B.LV5 units can operate in recirculating media streams, in bypass lines and can even be integrated in customized cartridges. The probe-type B.IV4 sensors can be dipped into beakers, containers, T-flasks, multi-well-plates, storage and reaction vials and others or integrated into LUER-junctions and other connector openings.
Our compatible flow rates reach from nanoliters to multiple liters per minute depending on the available integration types. Both sterile as well as non-sterile applications are possible. Please contact us for further assistance on how to integrate our biosensors for your application.
About the application areas the biosensors are used in
Biotech: What sensor is ideal for bioreactor monitoring?
Our B.LV5 biosensor can monitor most bioreactor media in bioprocessing. They feature very low sample consumption and measure continuously in perfusion as well as bypass streams. The sensor can be connected by LUER lock or alternatively to 3/8’’, 1/4”, 1/2” and 1” tubing.
Medical: Can you provide sensors for CGM devices?
iST Jobst proprietary glucose sensor technology enables long-term glucose monitoring in various body fluids, including interstitial fluid (ISF). Contact us for OEM solutions and integration support.
Medical: What sensors are ideal for blood gas analyzers?
Our biosensor components can be tailored to specific analytical panels and integrated into various flow cell designs. With operational lifetimes exceeding multiple months, dry storage capability, and a broad linear range for glucose and lactate, they offer high performance and cost efficiency for blood gas analyzer integration.
Biotech: How can I integrate iST Jobst biosensors in bioreactors?
Our biosensor components are utilized by integration partners in at-line analyzer modules for automated, hands-free operation, as well as in in-line continuous monitoring systems and process analytical technology (PAT) equipment. Closed bioreactor systems can be interfaced using sterile barriers such as semipermeable membranes, check valves, peristaltic pumps, or filter probes. For in-line monitoring, gamma irradiated biosensors can be directly mounted into perfusion lines or reactor chambers.
Evaluation products for professionals to be used solely for research and development purposes!
Not for medical and diagnostic use. Not to be used on humans. For more information contact Jobst Technologies GmbH.