A method for determining a characteristic of an analyte in a biological sample, the method comprising: directing broadband light by means of a sensing light path at the biological sample, at a target depth defined by the sensing light path and a reference light path; receiving the broadband light reflected from the biological sample by means of the sensing light path; directing the broadband light by means of the reference light path at a fixed reflecting device; and receiving the broadband light reflected from the fixed reflecting device by means of the reference light path. The method also includes interfering the broadband light reflected from the biological sample and the broadband light reflected from the fixed reflecting device; varying an effective light path length of at least one of the reference light path and the sensing light path to define an other target depth; detecting the broadband light resulting from interference of the broadband light reflected from the biological sample and the broadband light reflected from the fixed reflecting device for each of the target depths, to provide an intensity measurement at each of the target depths; and determining the characteristic of the analyte in the biological sample from variations in the intensity measurements.