Blood withdrawal system

• US 20030216767A1
• Filed: 05/14/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics GmbH (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: List, Hans, Ruschke, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,238,192 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/181
• 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 5/150412 Pointed piercing elements, e.g. needles, lancets for piercing the skin blade-like piercing elements A61B5/150442
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150519 Details of construction of hub, i.e. element used to attach the single-ended needle to a piercing device or sampling device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150549 Protectors removed by rotational movement, e.g. torsion or screwing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150717 manually removed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150885 Preventing re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15111 Semi-automatically triggered, e.g. at the end of the cocking procedure, for instance by biasing the main drive spring or when reaching sufficient contact pressure, the piercing device is automatically triggered without any deliberate action by the user
• 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 5/1513 comprising linear sliding guides comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15144 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for retracting the piercing unit into the housing

Abstract

A blood withdrawal system for withdrawing blood for diagnostic purposes including a lancing device having a housing with an opening and a support surface, and a lancet holder movably mounted in the opening including a lancet and a bearing member that rests on the support surface. The device further includes a trigger unit which, when moved linearly, causes a rotational movement to initiate a lancing process.

Claims

1. A lancing device, including:

a housing having an opening and a support surface;

a lancet holder movably mounted in the opening including a lancet and a bearing member configured to rest on the support surface when the lancet holder is in a first position;

a trigger unit having a release button configured such that when the trigger unit is actuated, linear movement of the trigger unit is converted into rotational movement of one of the bearing member and the support surface relative to the other of the bearing member and the support surface such that the lancet holder moves into a second position wherein the bearing member falls from the support surface; and

a spring in engagement with the lancet holder such that when the lancet holder is in the first position, the spring is tensioned, and when the lancet holder is moved into the second position, the spring at least partially relaxes thereby moving the lancet holder relative to the housing in a lancing direction such that a tip of the lancet emerges from an end of the housing.

2. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the spring is connected to the lancet holder.

3. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the linear movement of the release button is along a longitudinal axis of the housing.

4. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the trigger unit further includes a rotary drive element that is moved against the bearing member by the linear movement of the release button, thereby moving the bearing member off of the support surface.

5. The lancing device of claim 4 wherein the rotary drive element includes at least one elastic arm that is deformed by the linear movement of the release button.

6. The lancing device of claim 4 wherein the rotary drive element includes a slanted ramp that extends into the housing.

7. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the bearing member is urged against an underside of the support surface after the lancet tip emerges from the end of the housing.

8. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the bearing member undergoes the rotational movement relative to the support surface.

9. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the lancet holder includes a second bearing member.

10. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the support surface includes a depression configured to receive the bearing member when the lancet holder is in the first position.

11. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the trigger unit includes a locking member configured to prevent the rotational movement until the trigger unit is actuated.

12. The lancing device of claim 11 wherein the locking member engages a recess formed in the lancet holder.

13. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a locking member configured to prevent unintentional rotation of one of the bearing member and the support surface relative to the other of the bearing member and the support surface.

14. The lancing device of claim 1 further includes a detachable sterile protector for the lancet, the protector including a locking member configured to prevent the rotational movement until the protector is detached.

15. The lancing device of claim 14 wherein the protector includes a barb configured to prevent the lancet holder from moving in a direction that is substantially parallel to the lancing direction.

16. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a stop which stops the movement of the lancet holder in the lancing direction.

17. The lancing device of claim 16 wherein the bearing member engages the stop, thereby stopping the movement of the lancet holder in the lancing direction.

18. The lancing device of claim 1 further including a cap movably mounted on the end of the housing, the cap including a bore through which the tip of the lancet emerges when the lancet holder moves in the lancing direction.

19. A method for triggering a lancing process with a lancing device, including the steps of:

supporting a lancet holder on a support surface in a housing of the lancing device;

actuating a trigger unit of the lancing device such that at least a part of the trigger unit carries out a linear movement;

converting the linear movement into a rotational movement of one of the lancet holder and the support surface relative to the other of the lancet holder and the support surface until the lancet holder moves off of the support and carries out a falling movement during which a tip of a lancet of the lancet holder emerges from an end of the housing to carry out a lancing process.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the linear movement of the trigger unit is substantially perpendicular to a plane of the rotational movement of the lancet holder.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein a retensioning of the lancet is prevented.