Lancing Device with Releasable Threaded Enclosure

• US 20080009893A1
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tower Square Capital Partners (Barings LLC (Private Equity)), Facet Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Facet Technologies LLC
• Inventors: LeVaughn, Richard
• Application Number:
  US11/722,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20080009893A1
• 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 5/150175 Adjustment of penetration depth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150259 Improved gripping, e.g. with high friction pattern or projections on the housing surface or an ergonometric shape
• 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 5/151 Devices specially adapted for taking samples of capillary blood, e.g. by lancets , needles or blades
• 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 5/15123 comprising magnets or solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15128 comprising 2D- or 3D-shaped elements, e.g. cams, curved guide rails or threads comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1519 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for propelling the piercing unit

Abstract

A lancing device having a body and an endcap, the body and the endcap being connected to one another by a threaded coupling. One or the other of the body and the endcap has a threaded collar with at least one slot formed therein to permit the collar to flex upon application of excess force, so that the threaded coupling momentarily releases, skips a thread, and then re-engages, to relieve the strain of over-tightening and thereby prevent damage to the threads.

Claims

1. In a lancing device of the type having a body and an endcap, the improvement comprising a threaded collar for connection of the endcap to the body, wherein the threaded collar has at least one slot therethrough.

2. The improvement to a lancing device according to claim 1, wherein the threaded collar comprises a plurality of slots therethrough, said plurality of slots dividing said threaded collar into segments.

3. The improvement to a lancing device according to claim 2, wherein at least one thread element is formed on said collar, and wherein portions of said at least one thread element are generally aligned along adjacent segments of the collar.

4. The improvement to a lancing device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one thread element comprises a non-square thread face geometry.

5. The improvement to a lancing device according to claim 2, wherein each of said segments flexes to momentarily release connection of the endcap and the body upon application of excess force, without causing thread damage.

6. The improvement to a lancing device according to claim 1, wherein the threaded collar extends from a proximal end of the endcap.

7. The improvement to a lancing device according to claim 6, wherein the threaded collar comprises an external threaded surface for engagement with a cooperating internal threaded surface of the body of the lancing device.

8. The improvement to a lancing device according to claim 7, wherein the external threaded surface has at least one male thread thereon, for engagement with a female thread formed in the internal threaded surface of the body of the lancing device.

9. A lancing device comprising a body and an endcap, at least one of the body and the endcap comprising a collar for connection of the endcap to the body, wherein the collar has at least one slot formed therein to permit flexure of at least a portion of the collar upon application of excess force.

10. The lancing device of claim 9, wherein the collar is threaded.

11. The lancing device of claim 10, wherein the threaded collar extends from a proximal end of the endcap.

12. The lancing device of claim 11, wherein the threaded collar comprises an external threaded surface for engagement with a cooperating internal threaded surface of the body of the lancing device.

13. The lancing device of claim 12, wherein the external threaded surface of the lancing device has at least one male thread thereon, for engagement with a female thread formed in the internal threaded surface of the body of the lancing device.

14. The lancing device of claim 10, wherein at least one thread element formed on the threaded collar comprises a non-square thread face geometry.

15. The lancing device of claim 9, wherein the collar comprises a plurality of slots therethrough, said plurality of slots dividing said collar into segments.

16. The lancing device of claim 15, wherein at least one thread element extends in general alignment along adjacent segments of the collar across an intermediate one of said plurality of slots.

17. The lancing device of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of each of said segments flexes to momentarily release connection of the endcap and the body upon application of excess force.

18. An endcap for a lancing device, said endcap comprising:

a distal end having a lancet opening formed therethrough; and

a proximal end having a collar extending therefrom, wherein said collar comprises at least one slot formed therein to permit at least a portion of said collar to resiliently deflect.

19. The endcap of claim 18, wherein the collar is threaded.

20. The endcap of claim 19, wherein the threaded collar comprises an externally threaded surface.

21. The endcap of claim 20, wherein the externally threaded surface has at least one male thread thereon.

22. The endcap of claim 19, wherein at least one thread element formed on the threaded collar comprises a non-square thread face geometry.

23. The endcap of claim 18, wherein the collar comprises a plurality of slots therethrough, said plurality of slots dividing said collar into segments.

24. The endcap of claim 23, wherein at least one thread element extends in general alignment along adjacent segments of the collar across an intermediate one of said plurality of slots.

25. The endcap of claim 23, wherein at least a portion of each of said segments flexes to momentarily release connection of the endcap and the body upon application of excess force.