An integrated device for poration of biological tissue, harvesting a biological
fluid from the tissue, and analysis of the biological fluid. The device comprises
a tissue-contacting layer having an electrically or optically heated probe to heat
and conduct heat to the tissue to form at least one opening, such as a micropore
to collect biological fluid from the opening, and a detecting layer responsive
to the biological fluid to provide an indication of a characteristic of the biological
fluid, such as the concentration of an analyte in interstitial fluid. In the embodiment
in which, the probe comprises a photosensitizing assembly designed for the uniform
application of a photosensitizing material, such as, for example, a dye or a pigment,
to a tissue, e.g., the stratum comeum. In one embodiment, the photosensitizing
assembly comprises photosensitizing material combined with a carrier, such as,
for example, an adhesive or an ink, and the resulting combination is applied to
a substrate, such as, for example, an inert polymeric substrate to form a photosensitizing
assembly. In another embodiment, the photosensitizing assembly comprises photosensitizing
material incorporated into a film-forming polymeric material.
