Relating to skin prickers

• US 20060253146A1
• Filed: 03/09/2004
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Owen Mumford
• Original Assignee: Owen Mumford
• Inventors: Marshall, Jeremy, Mumford, Adam John
• Granted Patent: US 8,425,547 B2
• 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 5/150412 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 5/150549 Protectors removed by rotational movement, e.g. torsion or screwing
• 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 5/150916 by blocking components, e.g. piston, driving device or fluid passageway
• 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 5/15142 Devices intended for single use, i.e. disposable

Abstract

A lancet body for a skin pricker has resiliently flexible fingers (9) with outwardly splayed tips (10). The device is fired by pressing a trigger (13) and a spring (5) urges the lancet forwards and the fingers (9) flex inwards as the tips (10) snap past barbs (11), so that the tips (10) of the arms (9) engage behind the barbs (11). If the user tries to push the lancet back into the cocked condition, the fingers (9) are trapped and will flex as the tips (10) press against the barbs (11) until the arms buckle and the tips (10) are pushed out through openings (14). Thus the lancet is arrested and immobilised before a re-cocked position is reached, and re-firing is prevented.

Claims

1. A disposable skin pricker comprising an elongate housing with a spring-loaded, longitudinally movable lancet carried therein, the lancet tip normally being within the housing, a trigger mechanism to retain the lancet in a fully retracted position in which it energises the spring, the trigger mechanism being actuable to release or fire the lancet to cause the tip to have a momentary position projecting from the forward end of the housing, and means for preventing repeated use including a spring finger extending rearwardly from the lancet alongside but spaced from the body thereof, and an abutment on the inside of the housing past which the tip of the finger will snap during forward motion of the lancet, any attempt to push the lancet back with a greater than a predetermined force after firing resulting in the abutment deflecting the finger tip out through an aperture in the side wall of the housing.

2. A disposable pricker according to claim 1, wherein the lancet is symmetrical, with two fingers on opposite sides thereof.

3. A disposable pricker according to claim 2, wherein the housing has two opposed apertures and abutments

4. A disposable pricker according to claim 2, wherein the abutments are shaped as barbs pointing inwards and forwards.

5. A disposable pricker according to claim 1, wherein the or each finger inclines outwardly from the lancet body as well as extending rearwardly.

6. A disposable pricker according to claim 1, wherein the or each finger is generally parallel to and spaced from the adjacent part of the body of the lancet but with its tip flaring outwardly.

7. A disposable pricker according to claim 1, wherein the needle tip is initially protected by an elongate cap by which the lancet can be pushed back to the fully retracted position from an initial pre-fired position wherein the or each finger tip is immediately to the rear of the associated abutment.

10. A disposable pricker according to claim 2, wherein the or each finger inclines outwardly from the lancet body as well as extending rearwardly.

11. A disposable pricker according to claim 3, wherein the or each finger inclines outwardly from the lancet body as well as extending rearwardly.

12. A disposable pricker according to claim 4, wherein the or each finger inclines outwardly from the lancet body as well as extending rearwardly.

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)