Single-use lancet device
First Claim
1. A single-use disposable lancet device comprising:
- a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, a trigger carried by said upper portion of said body, said trigger movable between a first raised position wherein the device is cocked and a second depressed position wherein the device is fired, a needle assembly movable between a cocked position and a striking position, a drive spring for moving said needle assembly from its cocked position to its striking position, trigger bar means having a first position wherein said trigger bar means holds said needle assembly in its cocked position and having a second position wherein said needle assembly is moved to its striking position by said drive spring, blade means carried by said trigger, and as said trigger moves from its first position to its second position, said blade means deforms a portion of said trigger bar means whereby said deformed trigger bar means releases said needle assembly from its cocked position and said deformed trigger bar means is thereafter not capable of holding said needle assembly in its cocked position, thereby limiting the device to a single use.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A single-use lancet device is provided for drawing capillary blood samples. The device includes a body having an upper portion and a lower portion and a trigger carried by the upper portion of the body. The trigger is movable between a first raised position wherein the device is cocked and a second depressed position wherein the device is fired. A needle assembly is provided which is movable between a cocked position and a striking position. A free-floating drive spring is provided for moving the needle assembly from its cocked position to its striking position. A bounceback spring is integrally molded with the needle assembly and includes a pair of generally V-shaped spring arms. A trigger bar has a first position wherein it holds the needle assembly in its cocked position, and the trigger bar has a second position wherein it allows the needle assembly to move to its striking position as the drive spring expands. The trigger carries a pair of guillotine-type blades which sever the trigger bar and thereby releases the needle assembly from its cocked position. Alternate trigger bars are provided which may be deformed rather than severed. The device is also capable of assembly by automatic equipment. The device is incapable of a second use because of the deformation or severing of the trigger bar.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. A single-use disposable lancet device comprising:
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a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, a trigger carried by said upper portion of said body, said trigger movable between a first raised position wherein the device is cocked and a second depressed position wherein the device is fired, a needle assembly movable between a cocked position and a striking position, a drive spring for moving said needle assembly from its cocked position to its striking position, trigger bar means having a first position wherein said trigger bar means holds said needle assembly in its cocked position and having a second position wherein said needle assembly is moved to its striking position by said drive spring, blade means carried by said trigger, and as said trigger moves from its first position to its second position, said blade means deforms a portion of said trigger bar means whereby said deformed trigger bar means releases said needle assembly from its cocked position and said deformed trigger bar means is thereafter not capable of holding said needle assembly in its cocked position, thereby limiting the device to a single use. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A single-use disposable lancet device comprising:
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a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, a trigger carried by said upper portion of said body, said trigger movable between a first raised position in which the device is cocked and a second depressed position in which the device is fired, a needle assembly movable between a cocked position and a striking position, a drive spring for moving said needle assembly from its cocked position to its striking position, trigger bar means having a first position wherein said trigger bar means holds said needle assembly in its cocked position and having a second position wherein said needle assembly is movable to its striking position by said drive spring, blade means carried by said trigger, and as said trigger moves from its first position to its second position, said blade means severs a portion of said trigger bar means causing said partially severed trigger bar means to release said needle assembly from its cocked position and thereafter preventing said partially severed trigger bar means from holding said needle assembly in its cocked position, thereby limiting the device to a single use. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A single-use disposable lancet device comprising:
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a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, a trigger carried by said upper portion of said body, said trigger movable between a first raised position in which the device is cocked and a second depressed position in which the device is fired, a needle assembly movable between a cocked position and a striking position, a free-floating drive spring for moving said needle assembly from its cocked position to its striking position, a bounceback spring means integrally formed with said needle assembly, trigger bar means having a first position wherein said trigger bar means holds said needle assembly in its cocked position and having a second position wherein said needle assembly is moved to its striking position by said drive spring, blade means carried by said trigger, and as said trigger moves from its first position to its second position, said blade means severs a portion of said trigger bar means whereby said partially severed trigger bar means releases said needle assembly from its cocked position and said partially severed trigger bar means is thereafter not capable of holding said needle assembly in its cocked position, thereby limiting the device to a single use. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A single-use disposable lancet device comprising:
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a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, a trigger carried by said upper portion of said body, said trigger movable between a first raised position in which the device is cocked and a second depressed position in which the device is fired, a needle assembly movable between a cocked position and a striking position, a drive spring for moving said needle assembly from its cocked position to its striking position, trigger bar means having a first position wherein said trigger bar means holds said needle assembly in its cocked position and having a second position wherein said needle assembly is moved to its striking position by said drive spring, blade means carried by said trigger, and as said trigger moves from its first position to its second position, said blade means irreparably breaks a portion of said trigger bar means whereby said broken trigger bar means releases said needle assembly from its cocked position and said broken trigger bar means is thereafter not capable of holding said needle assembly in its cocked position, thereby limiting the device to a single use. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. In a lancet device for drawing a capillary blood sample, wherein a needle assembly is carried within a body, and said needle assembly is movable between a cocked position, a striking position and an at rest position, the improvement comprising:
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a free floating mainspring means for driving said needle assembly from its cocked position to its striking position, and bounceback spring means carried by said needle assembly for returning said needle assembly from said striking position to said at rest position, said bounceback spring means being integrally formed with said needle assembly. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. The method of automatically assembling a lancet device in a cocked position, wherein the components of said lancet device include an upper body portion having proximal and distal ends, a lower body portion having proximal and distal ends, a mainspring and a needle assembly having a removable tailpiece, and wherein an opening is formed in said proximal ends of one or both of said body portions of said device for temporarily receiving said tailpiece, comprising the steps:
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supporting said lower body portion, automatically loading said mainspring onto said tailpiece, automatically compressing said mainspring on said tailpiece, automatically and temporarily holding said compressed mainspring on said tailpiece, automatically loading said needle assembly with said compressed mainspring into said lower body portion, automatically closing the device by attaching said upper body portion to said lower body portion, and severing said tailpiece from said needle assembly, leaving said cocked mainspring in position ready to cause said needle assembly to fire. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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41. The method of assembling a lancet device in a cocked position, wherein the components of said lancet device include an upper body portion having proximal and distal ends, a lower body portion having proximal and distal ends, a mainspring and a needle assembly having a removable tailpiece, and wherein an opening is formed in said proximal ends of one or both of said body portions of said device for temporarily receiving said tailpiece, comprising the steps:
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supporting said lower body portion, loading said mainspring onto said tailpiece, compressing said mainspring on said tailpiece, temporarily holding said compressed mainspring on said tailpiece, loading said needle assembly with said compressed mainspring into said lower body portion, closing the device by attaching said upper body portion to said lower body portion, and severing said tailpiece from said needle assembly, leaving said cocked mainspring in position ready to cause said needle assembly to fire. - View Dependent Claims (42)
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43. In a single-use disposable lancet device having a body with upper and lower portions, a needle assembly movable between a cocked position and a striking position, and a drive spring for advancing said needle assembly, the improvement comprising:
a one-way trigger button molded into said upper portion of said body, said trigger button having a first retracted and cocked position and a second depressed and firing position, said trigger button having distal and proximal ends pivotally connected to said body, said trigger button having a running length that exceeds the distance between said proximal and distal ends, so that said trigger button is stable only in its first and second positions and is unstable at any intermediate position. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47)
Specification