Patent ID: 6704587
Filing Date: 2004-03-09
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A system for detecting at least one substance in a fluid to be collected from a tissue, the system comprising:a. an assay device suitable for attachment to the tissue, wherein the assay device comprises a reactive region that is responsive to a first type of optical energy suitable to heat up and transfer heat by conduction to the tissue to ablate the tissue and form at least one opening in the tissue from which fluid is collected, and which reactive region is also responsive to at least one substance in the fluid to be collected from the tissue when the fluid is in contact with the reactive region; and b. an optical apparatus, comprising: an activation head; a first optical energy source providing as output the first type of optical energy; an optical detecting device that measures a characteristic of the at least one substance from the response of the reactive region when the reactive region is in contact with the at least one substance; and optical fibers for separately coupling the first optical energy source to the activation head so as to transmit the first type of optical energy from the first optical energy source outwardly from the activation head to the reactive region of the assay device to cause the formation of at least one opening in the tissue, and coupling the optical detecting device to the activation head so as to transmit optical energy indicative of the characteristic of the at least one substance from the activation head to the optical detecting device.