Agilent Cary UV-Vis and UV-Vis-NIR instruments use standard rectangular cuvette wells. This guide explains which standard cuvettes fit, and how to pick the right path length, window format and volume for your Cary model.
A Cary spectrophotometer's cuvette well accepts the standard rectangular cell format: 12.5 × 12.5 × 45 mm body, 10 mm path length, standard Z-dimension, transmitting-window centre at 8.5 mm. This is the same cell geometry used by virtually all benchtop UV-Vis instruments, so any standard 10 mm cuvette from Scuvette fits the well physically. See all instrument brands →
For normal absorbance you need a two-clear-side cell; for fluorescence on a Cary Eclipse or similar you need a four-clear-side cell (see section 4). If you use a micro-cell or a specialty holder, confirm the beam height against your instrument manual — that is the only dimension that occasionally varies between holders.
| Cary setup | Recommended cell | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cary 50 / 60 / 100 / 300 (UV-Vis) | 10 mm open-top quartz | Standard well, deep-UV to visible |
| Cary 5000 / 6000i (UV-Vis-NIR) | JGS1 quartz | Wide band to cover the NIR leg |
| Volatile / hygroscopic samples | Screw-cap quartz | Seals the well against evaporation |
| Fluorescence (Cary Eclipse etc.) | Four-clear-side cell | 90° emission collection needs 4 windows |
| Limited sample volume | Micro / sub-micro quartz | Keeps 10 mm path at small fill |
Use 10 mm for routine absorbance. If your sample would read over-range (A > ~3) at 10 mm, drop to a 1–5 mm short-path cell rather than diluting; for very dilute samples use a longer path. The same Beer–Lambert relationship (A = ε·c·l) applies on every Cary instrument. Path length guide →
A Cary fluorescence system collects emitted light at 90° to the excitation beam, so the cell must have four optically clear sides. Standard two-window absorbance cells block the emission path. Use a proper fluorescence cuvette with a low-fluorescence quartz grade.
Yes. Cary instruments use the standard rectangular cuvette well — 12.5 × 12.5 × 45 mm body, 10 mm path, standard Z-dimension, window centre at 8.5 mm. Any standard Scuvette 10 mm cell fits physically. Verify beam height only for micro or specialty holders. Brand compatibility →
No. Cuvettes are consumable lab glassware defined by standard dimensions, not by instrument brand. A standard cell from any qualified maker fits the well. Scuvette supplies the standard geometry in quartz, glass and specialty formats.
Use a four-clear-side (four-window) fluorescence cell so emitted light can be collected at 90°. A normal two-window absorbance cell blocks the emission path. Fluorescence cuvettes →
Switch to a 1–5 mm short-path cell instead of diluting, which keeps preparation simple and accuracy high. Short-path cuvettes →
Yes — special path lengths, dimensions and screw-thread (M6/M7/M10/M12/M16) cells made to your drawing, with no minimum order quantity. Request a quote →