Reusable ceramic skin-piercing device
First Claim
1. A skin-piercing device comprising:
- a skin-piercing element comprising a ceramic blade and a resistive region; and
at least two conductors spaced apart from each other and configured and arranged for contact with the resistive region of the skin-piercing element to permit current flow between the conductors resulting in heating of the skin-piercing element to deactivate pathogenic microorganisms.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A reusable ceramic skin-piercing device. The skin-piercing device is capable of piercing the skin so as to make a sample of biological fluid available for an assay. In one embodiment, the skin-piercing device includes a skin-piercing element which is heated prior to use to a sufficiently high temperature to kill or deactivate pathogenic microorganisms. The device is heat-sterilized, being heated by passing an electrical current through a resistive element in thermal contact with the heat-conducting ceramic piercer. In another embodiment, the skin-piercing device includes a sleeve of elastomeric material with a sterilizing agent disposed in contact with the skin-piercing element. The sterilizing agent sterilizes the skin-piercing element after use.
The skin-piercing element is made of a hard refractory ceramic material. The ceramic material is optionally a composite, for example, a composite of a ceramic material and a metal, or multiple ceramic materials.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A skin-piercing device comprising:
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a skin-piercing element comprising a ceramic blade and a resistive region; and
at least two conductors spaced apart from each other and configured and arranged for contact with the resistive region of the skin-piercing element to permit current flow between the conductors resulting in heating of the skin-piercing element to deactivate pathogenic microorganisms. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for sterilizing a skin-piercing device, the method comprising:
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providing a skin-piercing element; and
delivering current to heat the skin-piercing element to deactivate pathogenic microorganisms. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A skin-piercing device comprising:
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a skin-piercing element comprising a blade; and
a sleeve disposed in contact with the skin-piercing element, the sleeve comprising an elastomeric material and at least one sterilizing agent. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for sterilizing a skin-piercing device, the method comprising:
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piercing skin using a skin-piercing element of a skin-piercing device;
after piercing skin, retracting the skin-piercing element to a position within the skin-piercing device and in contact with a sleeve disposed in the skin-piercing device, the sleeve comprising a elastomeric material and a sterilizing agent; and
sterilizing the skin-piercing element using the sterilizing agent of the sleeve. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification