Push-to-charge mechanism for lancing device

• US 10,092,231 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2015
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Facet Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Facet Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Kan, Gil
• Primary Examiner(s): Severson, Ryan J
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEI, CHARLES M
• Application Number:
  US14/835,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20150359474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1411 by percutaneous method, e.g. by lancet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150183 Depth adjustment mechanism using end caps mounted at the distal end of the sampling device, i.e. the end-caps are adjustably positioned relative to the piercing device housing for example by rotating or screwing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150259 Improved gripping, e.g. with high friction pattern or projections on the housing surface or an ergonometric shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150412 Pointed piercing elements, e.g. needles, lancets for piercing the skin blade-like piercing elements A61B5/150442
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150503 Single-ended needles hollow piercing element tip design A61B5/150396, needle sets for catheters A61M25/06, needles for bringing media into the body A61M5/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15113 Manually triggered, i.e. the triggering requires a deliberate action by the user such as pressing a drive button
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15117 comprising biased elements, resilient elements or a spring, e.g. a helical spring, leaf spring, or elastic strap
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15128 comprising 2D- or 3D-shaped elements, e.g. cams, curved guide rails or threads comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15132 comprising tooth-shaped elements, e.g. toothed wheel or rack and pinion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1519 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for propelling the piercing unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15192 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for retracting the lancet unit into the driving device housing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15194 fully automatically retracted, i.e. the retraction does not require a deliberate action by the user, e.g. by terminating the contact with the patient's skin

Abstract

A lancing device has a charging mechanism that operates to convert an external push action by a user to an internal pull action that retracts and charges a lancet for use in a lancing stroke. In some embodiments, the charging mechanism includes a user-actuated charging push-button, a reverse charging member coupled to a lancet carrier, and a reverse-motion conversion member coupled therebetween. Depressing the user-actuated member in a first longitudinal direction causes transverse movement of the conversion member, which in turn causes longitudinal retraction of the reverse charging member and the lancet carrier coupled thereto in a second longitudinal direction opposite the first direction, thereby charging a drive mechanism of the lancing device. In other embodiments, a rack-and-pinion gear mechanism provides the same push-to-pull functionality.

Claims

1. A lancing device for propelling a lancet through a lancing stroke, the lancing device comprising:

a housing including an axial bore;

a drive mechanism including a lancet carrier and a drive spring, the lancet carrier holding the lancet and translatable axially within the housing through the lancing stroke, and the drive spring adapted to propel the lancet carrier through the lancing stroke; and

a charging mechanism adapted to retract the lancet carrier to a charged position and including a charging button having a first rack gear, a reverse charging member having a second rack gear, and a pinion gear rotatably engaged between the first and second rack gears, and wherein movement of the charging button in a first axial direction causes rotation of the pinion gear, which in turn causes movement of the reverse charging member and lancet carrier coupled thereto in a second axial direction generally opposite the first axial direction to retract the lancet carrier to a charged position,

wherein the charging button includes an orifice allowing the first rack gear to extend through the housing when the charging button is actuated.

2. The lancing device of claim 1, wherein the charging button is movable between an extended position and a depressed position, and is spring-biased toward the extended position.

3. The lancing device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a guidance feature.

4. The lancing device of claim 3, wherein the charging button comprises an elongate guide arm extending longitudinally therefrom for slidably engaging the guidance feature.

5. The lancing device of claim 4, wherein the elongate guide arm is shaped to receive guidance from the guidance feature while allowing the second rack gear to remain operative.

6. The lancing device of claim 1, wherein the orifice is adapted to prevent contact between the charging button and the second rack gear.

7. The lancing device of claim 1, wherein the charging button and the reverse charging member are axially constrained to traverse only along an axis generally parallel to advancement and retraction of the lancet carrier.

8. The lancing device of claim 1, wherein the pinion gear is rotatably mounted to the housing by a bore that receives a post extending inward from the housing.

9. The lancing device of claim 8, wherein the post is laterally offset from an axis defining advancement and retraction of the lancet carrier.

10. A charging mechanism for a lancing device comprising a lancet carrier that carries a lancet through a lancing stroke, the charging mechanism comprising:

a charging button slidably coupled to the lancing device to permit axial movement between an extended position and a depressed position and including a first rack gear;

a reverse charging member coupled to the lancet carrier and including a second rack gear; and

a pinion gear rotatably engaged between the first and second rack gears,

wherein movement of the charging button in a first axial direction causes rotation of the pinion gear, which in turn causes movement of the reverse charging member and lancet carrier coupled thereto in a second axial direction generally opposite the first axial direction to retract the lancet carrier to a charged position;

wherein the charging mechanism is situated in a housing and wherein the housing comprises a guidance feature; and

wherein the charging button includes an orifice allowing the first rack gear to extend through the housing when the charging button is actuated.

11. The charging mechanism of claim 10, wherein the charging button is movable between an extended position and a depressed position, and is spring-biased toward the extended position.

12. The charging mechanism of claim 10, further comprising an elongate guide arm extending longitudinally therefrom for slidably engaging the guidance feature.

13. The charging mechanism of claim 12, wherein the elongate guide arm is shaped to receive guidance from the guidance feature while allowing the second rack gear to remain operative.

14. The lancing device of claim 10, wherein the orifice is adapted to prevent contact between the charging button and the second rack gear.

15. The charging mechanism of claim 10, wherein the charging button and the reverse charging member are axially constrained to traverse only along an axis generally parallel to advancement and retraction of the lancet carrier.

16. The charging mechanism of claim 10, wherein the pinion gear is rotatably mounted to the housing by a bore that receives a post extending inward from the housing.

17. The lancing device of claim 16, wherein the post is laterally offset from an axis defining advancement and retraction of the charging button.