Puncturing device

• US 20040068283A1
• Filed: 07/11/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Original Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Inventors: Fukuzawa, Masahiro, Hirao, Etsuo
• Granted Patent: US 6,929,650 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 5/150099 by negative pressure, other than vacuum extraction into a syringe by pulling on the piston rod or into pre-evacuated tubes
• 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 5/15019 Depth adjustment mechanism using movable stops located inside the piercing device housing and limiting the travel of the drive mechanism mechanisms using distal end caps A61B5/150183, mechanisms at the piercing element carrier proximal end A61B5/150198
• 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 5/15186 Devices loaded with a single lancet, i.e. a single lancet with or without a casing is loaded into a reusable drive device and then discarded after use; drive devices reloadable for multiple use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1519 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for propelling the piercing unit
• 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 (A) includes an auxiliary member (8) located on a side of the tip end portion of a lancet (L). By moving the auxiliary member (8), the dimension (s) of the tip end of the lancet (L) projecting from the tip end portion (8a) of the auxiliary member (8) can be varied. The variation of the dimension (S) makes it possible to stick the lancet (L) into the skin (99) of a user precisely by an intended amount.

Claims

1. A lancing device comprising:

a housing having a tip end formed with an opening;

a lancet arranged in the housing;

an operation mechanism for making the lancet movable to advance from within the housing toward the opening; and

an auxiliary member for advancing together with the lancet toward the opening, the auxiliary member having a tip end portion located on a side of a tip end portion of the lancet;

the auxiliary member being capable of varying a position relative to the lancet for varying a projecting dimension of the tip end portion of the lancet from the tip end portion of the auxiliary member.

2. The lancing device according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a sleeve rotatable relative to another portion of the housing;

the variation of the position of the auxiliary member relative to the lancet being performed by rotating the sleeve.

3. The lancing device according to claim 2, further comprising a cam mechanism which moves the auxiliary member in a back-and-forth direction of the lancet when the auxiliary member is rotated relative to the lancet;

the auxiliary member engaging the sleeve to rotate relative to the lancet by rotating the sleeve.

4. The lancing device according to claim 1, further comprising a lancet holder for removably holding the lancet;

the advancing movement of the lancet being performed by moving the lancet holder by an operation the operation mechanism.

5. The lancing device according to claim 4, wherein the auxiliary member is attached to the lancet holder.

6. The lancing device according to claim 5, wherein the auxiliary member and the lancet holder are attached together by threading engagement, the variation of the position of the auxiliary member relative to the lancet being performed by rotating the auxiliary member and the lancet holder relative to each other.

7. The lancing device according to claim 1, wherein the tip end portion of the auxiliary member surrounds an entire circumference of the tip end portion of the lancet.

8. The lancing device according to claim 7, wherein the lancet includes a main body and a needle projecting from a tip end surface of the main body;

the tip end portion of the auxiliary member being provided with a patch plate portion facing the tip end surface of the main body, the patch plate portion being formed with a hole for passing the needle.

9. The lancing device according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary member has a configuration capable of allowing the needle of the lancet to project from the tip end portion of the auxiliary member entirely throughout the length.

10. The lancing device according to claim 4, wherein the operation mechanism comprises:

a resilient member for biasing the lancet holder in the housing toward the opening;

a latch member for latching the lancet holder in the housing against resilient force of the resilient member;

an operation member exposed to an outside of the housing at least partially; and

a latch release member which operates to release the lancet holder from the latched state when the operation member is operated.

11. The lancing device according to claim 1, further comprising

a pump mechanism;

the pump mechanism comprising;

a cylinder and a plunger defining a pressure chamber capable of communicating with an outside of the housing through an exhaust vent and capable of communicating with an inside of the tip end portion of the housing through an intake vent;

a plunger operation mechanism for reciprocally moving the plunger relative to the cylinder by an operation different from the operation of the operation mechanism;

a first non-return valve for opening or closing the exhaust vent, the first non-return valve keeping the exhaust vent open when the plunger reduces a volume of the pressure chamber; and

a second non-return valve for opening or closing the intake vent, the second non-return valve keeping the intake vent open when the plunger increases the volume of the pressure chamber.

12. The lancing device according to claim 11, wherein the plunger operation mechanism comprises an outer cylinder arranged outwardly on the housing for reciprocal movement, and connecting means for connecting the plunger to the outer cylinder so that the plunger moves reciprocally relative to the cylinder when the outer cylinder moves reciprocally.