Low cost safety lancet
First Claim
1. A lancing device, comprising:
- a housing;
a lancet having a lancet body and a puncturing tip extending therefrom, wherein the lancet travels through a lancing stroke from a ready position to a fully extended position with the tip extending out of the housing;
a control assembly that engages the lancet; and
at least one set of first cooperating engagement structures configured to hold the control assembly in the ready position when less than a predetermined user-applied launch force is applied to the control assembly and to permit movement of the control assembly in the lancing stroke when the launch force is applied to the control assembly, wherein in use when the user-applied launch force is applied to the control assembly, the first cooperating engagement structures disengage and the launch force propels the lancet through the lancing stroke.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A lancing device has a housing, an activation/retraction control assembly, and a lancet. The control assembly and the housing have cooperating engagement structures such as detents that disengage after a predetermined launch force is applied to the control assembly. In this way, the lancet is driven to its puncturing position without the use of a drive spring. In addition, the control assembly and the lancet have cooperating releasable engagement structures such as notched sections and tamped protrusions that disengage when the lancet reaches its puncturing position, thereby freeing the lancet from the control assembly. And the control assembly has angled retraction structures that engage the freed lancet to bias it back safely into the housing.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A lancing device, comprising:
-
a housing;
a lancet having a lancet body and a puncturing tip extending therefrom, wherein the lancet travels through a lancing stroke from a ready position to a fully extended position with the tip extending out of the housing;
a control assembly that engages the lancet; and
at least one set of first cooperating engagement structures configured to hold the control assembly in the ready position when less than a predetermined user-applied launch force is applied to the control assembly and to permit movement of the control assembly in the lancing stroke when the launch force is applied to the control assembly, wherein in use when the user-applied launch force is applied to the control assembly, the first cooperating engagement structures disengage and the launch force propels the lancet through the lancing stroke. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A lancing device, comprising:
-
a housing;
a lancet having a lancet body and a puncturing tip extending therefrom, wherein the lancet travels to a fully extended position with the tip extending out of the housing, and the lancet body has a first releasable engagement structure; and
a control assembly having a second releasable engagement structure that cooperates with the first releasable engagement structure to releasably engage the lancet, wherein upon the application of a launch force the control assembly drives the lancet to the fully extended position, wherein in use the first and second cooperating releasable engagement structures hold the control assembly and the lancet together as the lancet travels toward the fully extended position, but when the lancet stops in the fully extended position then the launch force disengages the lancet from the control assembly. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A lancing device, comprising:
-
a housing;
a lancet having a lancet body and a puncturing tip extending therefrom, wherein the lancet travels through a lancing stroke from a ready position to a fully extended position with the tip extending out of the housing, and the lancet body has a first releasable engagement structure;
a control assembly having a second releasable engagement structure that cooperates with the first releasable engagement structure to releasably engage the lancet; and
at least one set of first cooperating engagement structures configured to hold the control assembly in the ready position when less than a predetermined user-applied launch force is applied to the control assembly and to permit movement of the control assembly in the lancing stroke when the launch force is applied to the control assembly, wherein in use when the user-applied launch force is applied to the control assembly, the first cooperating engagement structures disengage and the launch force propels the lancet through the lancing stroke, and the first and second cooperating releasable engagement structures hold the control assembly and the lancet together as the lancet travels toward the fully extended position, but when the lancet stops in the fully extended position then the launch force disengages the lancet from the control assembly. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
-
Specification