The present invention involves apparatus and methods for use in collecting
bodily fluids, such as interstitial fluids, from the epidermal layer of an
animal. A preferred apparatus includes a pressure head and, optionally, a
holder therefor for supplying a positive pressure to the head. The methods
include the application of a positive pressure to the area surrounding an
epidermal site from which stratum corneum has been breached, such as by
laser ablation, to cause bodily fluids, such as interstitial fluids, to
exude from the site and collecting the fluids exuding therefrom.
