MULTI-LANCET DEVICE

• US 20090177118A1
• Filed: 01/21/2009
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Hoenes, Joachim, Harttig, Herbert, Haar, Hans-Peter, Zimmer, Volker, Quarder, Ortrud, Kuhr, Hans-Juergen, Voelkel, Dirk
• Granted Patent: US 8,394,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/583
• 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 5/150358 Strips for collecting blood, e.g. absorbent optical reagent test strips G01N21/8483; chemical reagent test strips G01N33/4875, G01N33/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150419 comprising means for capillary action
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150427 Specific tip design, e.g. for improved penetration characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150458 Specific blade design, e.g. for improved cutting and penetration characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150465 Specific design of proximal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150526 Curved or bent needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15115 Driving means for propelling the piercing element to pierce the skin, e.g. comprising mechanisms based on shape memory alloys, magnetism, solenoids, piezoelectric effect, biased elements, resilient elements, vacuum or compressed fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15153 Multiple piercing elements stocked in a single compartment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15161 Characterized by propelling the piercing element in a radial direction relative to the disc
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15169 Characterized by a rolled strip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15171 Characterized by propelling the piercing element perpendicular to the direction of movement of the strip

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for collecting body fluids which has at least one lancet comprising a lancet body with at least two tips of different lengths. The device is characterized in that it has a selection means with the aid of which only one tip is selected before the lancing. This selection means can have different functions and shapes. The selection means is used to select a tip from a plurality of lancet tips which have different lengths and make only this tip available for use in the lancing process. Since the various tips are attached to a lancet body, it is, for example, possible to use a bending element which bends one of the various tips out of the plane of the lancet body in order to provide only one lancet tip for use. This is especially preferable for lancet tips that are arranged linearly relative to one another.

Claims

1. A device for collecting body fluid, comprising:

at least one lancet comprising a lancet body, the lancet body having at least two tips which have different lengths; and

a selection means for selecting one of the at least two tips for a lancing process and thereby selecting a defined lancing depth, wherein the unselected tip is positioned in the device and unused during the lancing process.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least two tips are oriented in different directions on the lancet body.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least two tips are arranged in the shape of a star on the lancet body.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least two tips are arranged linearly on the lancet body.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a drive unit for moving the lancet.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a bending device which changes the alignment of the tips relative to the lancet body.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the alignment of at least one tip can be changed relative to the lancet body.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one lancet is a flat lancet.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least two tips comprise a bending region, a portion of the bending region having an altered stiffness.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the portion of the bending region having an altered stiffness extends over a region of the tip.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein when a threshold force acts on the lancet, areas adjoining the portion of the bending region having an altered stiffness bend.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising a carrier tape on which the at least one lancet is arranged.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the at least one lancet comprises different orientations on the carrier tape.

14. The device of claim 12, further comprising at least one test element arranged on the carrier tape.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein a proximal end of the at least one lancet is attached to the carrier tape.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the lancet tips comprise a sterile protection.

17. The device of claim 1, further comprising a means for returning bent tips to an original position.

18. The device of claim 1, further comprising a test element.

19. The device of claim 1, further comprising a detection unit.

20. A lancet for insertion into a body part, comprising a lancet body with at least two tips which have different lengths, characterized in that the lancet is designed such that one tip of the at least two tips can be selected such that a lancing process can take place with a defined lancing depth depending on the length of the selected tip, where at least one of the unselected tips can be positioned relative to the selected tip in the device during a lancing process in such a manner that no lancing process is executed with the unselected tip.

21. The lancet of claim 20, wherein a tip can be selected by means of a bending region in the lancet.

22. The lancet of claim 20, wherein the lancet has a coupling element configured to couple the lancet to a drive unit of a blood collection system.

23. The lancet of claim 22, wherein the coupling element allows the lancet to be coupled in different positions relative to the drive unit.

24. The lancet of claim 22, wherein the coupling element comprises a plurality of coupling elements.

25. The lancet of claim 22, wherein the lancet tips comprise different orientations.

26. A method of using a lancing device comprising a lancet body and at least two tips which have different lengths, the method comprising:

selecting a desired lancing depth;

selecting one of the at least two tips that corresponds to the desired lancing depth; and

performing a lancing process with the selected one of the tips while maintaining the unselected tip or tips positioned in the device and unused during the lancing process.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising bending the selected lancet.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the bending occurs along a bending region.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising changing the alignment of the selected tip relative to the lancet body.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the at least two tips point in different directions during the lancing process.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising bending the selected tip out of a lancet body plane.

32. The method of claim 26, further comprising, after the performing of the lancing process with the selected one of the tips, bending the selected tip back into a carrier plane.