Precisely guided lancet

• US 20040098008A1
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Facet Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Facet Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Solis, Mitchell, Stout, Jeffrey T., Taylor, William C., Levaughn, Richard W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,322,996 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 5/150442 Blade-like piercing elements, e.g. blades, cutters, knives, for cutting the skin
• 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 5/150618 Integrally moulded protectors, e.g. protectors simultaneously moulded together with a further component, e.g. a hub, of the piercing element
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150717 manually removed
• 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 5/1513 comprising linear sliding guides comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132

Abstract

A lancet having one or more portions of the shank of the lancet blade exposed for direct engagement with cooperating portion(s) of the lancet carrier of a lancing device. This direct engagement of the lancet blade with the lancet carrier provides more precise positional control of the location of the lancing site by eliminating the effect that any variation in the position of the lancet blade within the lancet body would otherwise have on the positioning of the lancet tip. Tolerance stack-up is thereby reduced and accuracy is improved, reducing the necessary sample size and minimizing pain resulting from the lancing operation.

Claims

1. A lancet for engagement within a lancet carrier portion of a lancing device, said lancet comprising a lancet blade mounted to a lancet body, the lancet blade comprising a sharp tip and a shank, at least a portion of the shank being exposed for direct engagement by the lancet carrier.

2. The lancet of claim 1, comprising at least two exposed portions of the shank for direct engagement by the lancet carrier.

3. The lancet of claim 2, wherein the at least two exposed portions of the shank are spaced a distance from one another along the length of the lancet.

4. The lancet of claim 1, wherein the exposed portion of the shank comprises at least one hole through the shank.

5. The lancet of claim 4, comprising two exposed holes through the shank, said holes spaced a distance from one another along the lengthwise axis of the lancet.

6. The lancet of claim 1, wherein the lancet body comprises a U-shaped element with two elongated legs extending from an end panel, and wherein the sharp tip of the lancet blade extends outwardly through the end panel opposite the legs and substantially the entire shank is exposed between the legs.

7. A lancet for releasable engagement in a lancing device, said lancet comprising:

a body portion; and

a lancet blade mounted within the body portion, the lancet blade comprising a sharp tip extending outwardly from the body portion, and a shank having at least one exposed portion for direct engagement with a cooperating portion of the lancing device.

8. The lancet of claim 7, comprising at least two exposed portions of the shank for direct engagement by the lancing device.

9. The lancet of claim 8, wherein the at least two exposed portions of the shank are spaced a distance from one another along the length of the lancet.

10. The lancet of claim 7, wherein the exposed portion of the shank comprises at least one hole through the shank.

11. The lancet of claim 10, comprising two exposed holes through the shank, said holes spaced a distance from one another along the lengthwise axis of the lancet.

12. The lancet of claim 7, wherein the lancet body portion comprises a U-shaped element with two elongated legs extending from an end panel, and wherein the sharp tip of the lancet blade extends outwardly through the end panel opposite the legs and substantially the entire shank of the lancet blade is exposed between the legs.

13. A lancet comprising a lancet blade having a sharp tip and a shank, said lancet blade being mounted in a lancet body with at least a portion of the shank of the lancet blade exposed, the exposed portion of the shank comprising at least two positioning guides for direct engagement with a lancing device.

14. The lancet of claim 13, wherein the at least two positioning guides comprise holes or recesses in the shank of the lancet blade.

15. The lancet of claim 14, wherein the at least two positioning guides are spaced a distance from one another along the lengthwise axis of the lancet.

16. A method of maintaining tight positional control of a lancing site location, said method comprising:

providing a lancet having at least one exposed shank portion; and

mounting the lancet in a lancet carrier of a lancing device with the at least one exposed shank portion of the lancet in direct engagement with the lancing device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one exposed shank portion of the lancet comprises first and second holes or recesses spaced a distance from one another, and wherein the step of mounting the lancet in a lancet carrier comprises engagement of pins or projections on the lancet carrier within corresponding holes or recesses of the lancet.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the lancing device comprises analysis means, and said method further comprises analyzing a sample of body fluid with said lancing device.