Blood Expression Device

• US 20090312669A1
• Filed: 06/16/2009
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: DeHart, Damon
• Granted Patent: US 8,177,730 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 5/150114 by tissue compression, e.g. with specially designed surface of device contacting the skin area to be pierced
• 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 5/15123 comprising magnets or solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15142 Devices intended for single use, i.e. disposable

Abstract

An embodiment of a device for expressing blood from a wound site formed in dermal tissue is constructed in the shape of a cap removably mounted onto a lancing instrument. The blood expression device includes an annular support member and a plurality of movable fingers integrally formed onto the support member in a spaced apart relationship, the free ends of the plurality of fingers together defining a generally circular opening. Each finger is adapted for pivotal displacement in such a manner that, its free end projects into the circular opening. In use, the free ends of the plurality of fingers are disposed in contact against the dermal tissue immediately surrounding the wound site. As the device is urged downward onto the dermal tissue, the free ends of the plurality of fingers collapse inward from the force of an axially movable sleeve and pinch into the dermal tissue, resulting in the expression of blood.

Claims

1. A device for expressing blood from a wound site in dermal tissue comprising:

(a) a crimping member, the crimping member comprising,

(i) a support member, and

(ii) a plurality of movable fingers coupled to the support member, and

(b) a sleeve slidably mounted over the crimping member, the sleeve being sized and shaped to selectively exert an inward force onto each movable finger.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each movable finger includes a first end affixed to the support member and a free second end.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of the free second ends of the plurality of movable fingers together are configured and arranged to at least partially define a generally co-planar and generally circular opening.

4. The device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the sleeve selectively exerts a force onto each movable finger which causes its free second end to pivot inward.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of movable fingers are spaced equidistantly apart from one another.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each finger is capable of independent movement relative to the remaining movable fingers.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each movable finger is configured to extend down from the support member and bias radially outward.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the slidably mounted sleeve is configured to overcome the bias to move the fingers radially inward when the sleeve is slid axially over the plurality of fingers.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8 wherein each of the plurality of movable fingers is resilient such that each finger resiliently biases radially outward when the sleeve is removed from the fingers.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the free second end of each movable finger is formed into a tip.

11. A method of generating a blood sample from dermal tissue, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) lancing the dermal tissue so as to create a wound site, and

(b) after the lancing step, expressing blood out from the wound site using a blood expression device which comprises a support member, a plurality of movable fingers coupled to the support member, and a sleeve, wherein the sleeve is configured to selectively exert an inward force onto each movable finger.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of expressing blood comprises forcing in a vertical direction on the dermal tissue the plurality of movable fingers while forcing in a radial direction on the dermal tissue the plurality of movable fingers with the sleeve.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein each movable finger includes a first end affixed to the support member and a free second end and wherein the sleeve selectively exerts a force onto each movable finger which causes its free second end to pivot inward.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

(c) selectively removing the inward force on each movable finger after an adequate blood sample has been expressed.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein each movable finger is configured to extend down from the support member and bias radially outward and wherein the step of expressing blood comprises sliding the sleeve axially over the plurality of movable fingers such that the inward force exerted by the sleeve overcomes the bias to move the fingers radially inward.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of:

(c) sliding the sleeve off of the plurality of movable fingers such that the plurality of movable fingers resiliency return to an outwardly biased position after an adequate blood sample has been expressed.