Method for dampened lancing

• US 20070173874A1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lifescan Incorporated (Duv Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lifescan Incorporated (Duv Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Uschold, Robert, Aylett, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US11/395,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20070173874A1
• 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 5/150152 by an adequate mechanical impact on the puncturing location
• 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 5/150412 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 5/1513 comprising linear sliding guides comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• 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 includes a housing, a moveable lancet holder configured to hold a lancet, a launching mechanism, a depth stop with a depth stop surface, and a dampener for dampening at least one of sound and vibration during lancing. The moveable lancet holder includes a lancet holder depth stop interface surface. In addition, the moveable lancet holder and launching mechanism are operatively connected to lance a target site with the lancet and the dampener is disposed between the lancet holder depth stop interface surface and the depth stop surface. Forward movement of the moveable lancet holder during lancing of a target site is stopped by engagement between the lancet holder depth stop interface surface, the dampener and the depth stop interface surface.

Claims

1. A method of lancing a target site, the method comprising:

urging a lancing device against a target site;

launching a moveable lancet holder of the lancing device such that the moveable lancet holder moves toward the target site; and

lancing the target site with a lancet held by the moveable lancet holder while dampening at least one of sound and vibration by engagement between a lancet holder depth stop interface, dampener and a depth stop interface surface of the lancing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the launching step includes launching the moveable lancet holder with a launching mechanism that includes a launch and a retraction spring, with at least one of the launch spring and retraction spring being at least partially coated with a dampening material.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the launch spring has been at least partially coated with the dampening material to a thickness in the range of about 0.005 mm to about 0.015 mm.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the retraction spring has been at least partially coated with the dampening material to a thickness in the range of about 0.005 mm to about 0.015 mm.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the damping material is a polymeric material.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the dampener is made of an elastomeric material.

7. The method claim 1, wherein the dampener is an elastomeric o-ring.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the dampener has a Shore A scale durometer in the range of about 60 to about 80.

9. The method claim 1, wherein the engagement decelerates a velocity of the moveable lancet holder prior to stopping movement of the moveable lancet holder.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the velocity is decelerated for a duration of approximately 300 microseconds.