Lancet device and case therefor

• US 20040215225A1
• Filed: 04/21/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakayama, Hiroshi
• Application Number:
  US10/828,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215225A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/182
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150305 Packages specially adapted for piercing devices or blood sampling devices kits for diabetes A61M5/003; packaging in general B65D
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15032 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150328 by aseptic fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150335 by radiation
• 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 5/150717 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 5/1519 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/03 Electric current
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/04 Heat A61L2/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/085 Infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/18 Liquid substances or solutions comprising solids or dissolved gases

Abstract

A lancet device including: a puncture needle; a drive spring adapted to move the puncture needle from a accommodated position to a lancing position; a trigger adapted to release the drive spring from a compressed state to move the puncture needle from the accommodated position to the lancing position; a main casing having space for accommodating the puncture needle and the drive spring and having a puncture hole for guiding a tip of the puncture needle to an outside of the main casing; and a sterilizer adapted to sterilize the puncture needle.

Claims

1. A lancet device used for performing a lancing operation, said lancet device comprising:

a puncture needle;

and a sterilizer adapted to sterilize said puncture needle.

2. The lancet device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said puncture needle is adapted to be sterilized by said sterilizer before or after the lancing operation.

3. The lancet device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said sterilizer is a heater adapted to heat said puncture needle, a radiation source adapted to irradiate said puncture needle with an ultraviolet ray or an infrared ray, or a chemical agent unit adapted to apply an antiseptic solution to said puncture needle.

4. The lancet device in accordance with claim 3, wherein said chemical agent unit comprises a porous body impregnated with the antiseptic solution and arranged such that said puncture needle is adapted to be insertable into said porous body.

5. The lancet device in accordance with claim 4, wherein said puncture needle is adapted to be insertable into said porous body before or after the lancing operation.

6. The lancet device in accordance with claim 4, wherein said chemical agent unit comprises an indicator lamp adapted to indicate a decrease in an amount of the antiseptic solution contained in said porous body and an antiseptic solution inlet adapted to provide said porous body with the antiseptic solution.

7. The lancet device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said sterilizer is not actuated during the lancing operation.

8. A case for accommodating a lancet device, said case comprising:

a sterilizer adapted to sterilize a puncture needle of the lancet device accommodated in said case.

9. The case for a lancet device in accordance with claim 8, wherein said sterilizer is a heater adapted to heat the puncture needle, a radiation source adapted to irradiate the puncture needle with an ultraviolet ray or an infrared ray, or a chemical agent unit adapted to apply an antiseptic solution to the puncture needle.

10. The case for a lancet device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said chemical agent unit comprises a porous body impregnated with the antiseptic solution and arranged such that the puncture needle is adapted to be insertable into said porous body while the lancet device is accommodated in said case.

11. The case for a lancet device in accordance with claim 10, wherein said chemical agent unit comprises an indicator lamp adapted to indicate a decrease in an amount of the antiseptic solution contained in said porous body and an antiseptic solution inlet adapted to provide said porous body with the antiseptic solution.

12. The case for a lancet device in accordance with claim 8, wherein said sterilizer is not actuated before the lancet device is accommodated in said case.

19. The case for a lancet device in accordance with claim 8, wherein said sterilizer comprises a circuit including a heating element and a switch adapted to actuate said heating element, said switch being closed while the lancet device is being accommodated in said case.

20. The case for a lancet device in accordance with claim 8, wherein said sterilizer comprises a circuit including a radiation source adapted to emit an ultraviolet ray or an infrared ray and a switch adapted to actuate said radiation source, said switch being closed while the lancet device is being accommodated in said case.

13. A lancet device comprising:

a puncture needle;

a drive spring adapted to move said puncture needle from an accommodated position to a lancing position;

a trigger adapted to release said drive spring from a compressed state to move said puncture needle from the accommodated position to the lancing position;

a main casing having space for accommodating said puncture needle and said drive spring and having a puncture hole adapted to guide a tip of said puncture needle to an outside of said main casing; and

a sterilizer adapted to sterilize said puncture needle.

14. The lancet device in accordance with claim 13, wherein said sterilizer is integrated with said main casing.

15. The lancet device in accordance with claim 13, wherein said sterilizer is fixed to a removable lid adapted to cover said puncture hole in said main casing.

16. The lancet device in accordance with claim 13, wherein said sterilizer comprises a circuit including a heating element and a switch adapted to actuate said heating element, said switch being closed while said drive spring is being released.

17. The lancet device in accordance with claim 13, wherein said sterilizer comprises a circuit including a radiation source adapted to emit an ultraviolet ray or an infrared ray and a switch adapted to actuate said radiation source, said switch being closed while said drive spring is being released.

18. The lancet device in accordance with claim 13, wherein said sterilizer comprises a porous body and an antiseptic solution impregnated in said porous body, wherein the tip of said puncture needle is adapted to be inserted into said porous body while said drive spring is being released.

21. A method for performing a lancing operation, said method comprising:

providing a puncture needle;

extracting fluid from a living body by using the puncture needle; and

sterilizing the puncture needle before or after performing said extracting fluid;

wherein said sterilizing is performed by heating the puncture needle, irradiating the puncture needle with an ultraviolet or infrared ray, or by applying an antiseptic solution to the puncture needle.

22. A method for accommodating a lancet device which includes a puncture needle, said method comprising:

housing the lancet device in a case; and

sterilizing the puncture needle of the lancet device accommodated in the case by heating the puncture needle, irradiating the puncture needle with an ultraviolet or infrared ray, or applying an antiseptic solution to the puncture needle.

23. A method for performing a lancing operation, said method comprising:

providing a puncture needle;

accommodating the puncture needle in a casing having a puncture hole adapted to guide a tip of the puncture needle to an outside of the casing;

moving the puncture needle from an accommodated position to a lancing position such that the tip of the puncture needle is moved to the outside of the casing;

extracting fluid from a living body by using the tip of the puncture needle; and

sterilizing the puncture needle before or after performing said extracting fluid.