Compact Multi-Use Lancing Device

• US 20070255302A1
• Filed: 03/02/2005
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Facet Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Facet Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Koeppel, Bradley, Conway, William, Griffis, Jack, Vanhiel, Brian, Buenger, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,481,819 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 5/150442 Blade-like piercing elements, e.g. blades, cutters, knives, for cutting the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150541 Breakable protectors, e.g. caps, shields or sleeves, i.e. protectors separated destructively, e.g. by breaking a connecting area
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15186 Devices loaded with a single lancet, i.e. a single lancet with or without a casing is loaded into a reusable drive device and then discarded after use; drive devices reloadable for multiple use
• 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 multi-use micro-sampling or lancing device (10) having an outer housing (12), a lancet holder (32) that engages a lancet (30) and constrains the lancet along a controlled and predefined path of travel during the lancing stroke, and a drive mechanism with a pair of opposed, off axis torsion springs (80,82) working in tandem to drive and return the lancet holder through its lancing stroke.

Claims

1. A lancing device comprising:

a housing;

a lancet holder for a holding a lancet and mounted for back and forth movement along a lancing stroke path within the housing; and

a drive mechanism comprising a pair of off-axis springs coupled to the lancet holder, each of the pair of off-axis springs being positioned laterally offset from the lancing stroke path of the lancet holder.

2. The lancing device of claim 1, wherein the housing has a width comparable to the length of the housing.

3. The lancing device of claim 1, further comprising a trigger to trigger the lancing stroke.

4. The lancing device of claim 3, wherein the lancet holder is barbed to hold the lancet holder in a ready position, ready for triggering.

5. The lancing device of claim 4, wherein the barbed lancet holder comprises compression arms each having at least one chamfered barb, and wherein the trigger engages the chamfered barbs to trigger the lancing stroke.

6. The lancing device of claim 1, wherein the pair of off-axis springs comprises a first torsion spring for advancing the lancet holder along the lancing stroke and a second torsion spring for retracting the lancet holder.

7. The lancing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing is about twice as long as a lancet used therein.

8. A lancing device, comprising:

a housing;

a drive mechanism within the housing for driving a lancet along a pre-defined path, the drive mechanism comprising;

a carrier for securely holding the lancet;

a first torsion spring for urging the lancet from an initial position into an extended position wherein a portion of the lancet protrudes out of the compact housing; and

a second torsion spring for retracting the lancet back into the housing.

9. The lancing device of claim 8, further comprising a trigger for triggering the drive mechanism.

10. The lancing device of claim 8, wherein the springs are positioned laterally offset from the pre-defined path.

11. The lancing device of claim 8, wherein the length of the housing is between about two and four times the length of the lancet used therein.

12. A lancing device, comprising:

a compact, non-elongated housing;

a drive mechanism for movably supporting a lancet along a lancing stroke;

a trigger for triggering the drive mechanism; and

wherein the housing has a length of no more than about four times as long as the length of the lancet used therein.

13. The housing of claim 12, wherein the housing is about twice as long as the lancet.

14. The lancing device of claim 12, wherein the housing has a width roughly equal to its length.

15. The lancing device of claim 12, wherein the housing is puck-like.

16. The lancing device of claim 12, wherein the drive mechanism includes off-axis springs for urging the lancet back and forth along the lancing stroke, the off-axis springs being laterally offset from the lancing stroke.

17. A method of collecting a sample of fluid, comprising:

inserting a lancet into a carrier of a multi-use sampling device;

aligning an opening of the device at a site to be lanced;

pressing an activating button having a post for contacting a chamfered barb of the carrier to release the carrier; and

collecting a sample of fluid.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of inserting a lancet into a carrier further includes pushing the lancet towards the rear of the device until the chamfered barb of the carrier locks into a ready position.

19. A lancing device comprising:

a reciprocating lancet carrier for releasably engaging a replaceable lancet, the lancet carrier traversing a linear path of travel along a forward stroke and a return stroke; and

a pair of torsion springs operating in tandem to advance the lancet carrier along the forward stroke, and to retract the lancet carrier along the return stroke.

20. The lancing device of claim 19, wherein each of the pair of torsion springs is laterally offset from the path of travel of the lancet carrier.

21. The lancing device of claim 19, wherein the pair of torsion springs comprise a drive spring and a return spring, the drive spring being stiffer than the return spring.

22. The lancing device of claim 19, wherein the pair of torsion springs are positioned on opposite sides of the path of travel of the lancet carrier.

23. The lancing device of claim 19, wherein the lancet carrier comprises at least one arm extending therefrom, for retaining the lancet carrier in a cocked position until released by a triggering member.

24. The lancing device of claim 19, wherein the lancet carrier comprises at least one guide element for constraining motion of the lancet carrier to the linear path of travel.

25. The lancing device of claim 24, wherein free ends of the torsion springs engage against the at least one guide element to advance and retract the lancet carrier.