Device for acquiring a blood sample

• US 20100152759A1
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Meinecke, Stefan, List, Hans
• Granted Patent: US 8,317,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/172
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150167 Adjustable piercing speed of skin piercing element, e.g. blade, needle, lancet or canula, for example with varying spring force or pneumatic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15019 Depth adjustment mechanism using movable stops located inside the piercing device housing and limiting the travel of the drive mechanism mechanisms using distal end caps A61B5/150183, mechanisms at the piercing element carrier proximal end A61B5/150198
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150419 comprising means for capillary action
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150511 Details of construction of shaft
• 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 5/15128 comprising 2D- or 3D-shaped elements, e.g. cams, curved guide rails or threads comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15146 Devices loaded with multiple lancets simultaneously, e.g. for serial firing without reloading, for example by use of stocking means. multiple simultaneous cutting or piercing A61B5/150977
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/155 Devices specially adapted for continuous or multiple sampling, e.g. at predetermined intervals devices loaded with multiple lancets simultaneously A61B5/15146

Abstract

A device for acquiring a blood sample comprising a lancet, a puncture drive having a drive rod coupled on the lancet, and a compression spring, which propels it is disclosed. A flywheel mass, which is mounted as to make it movable, is coupled to the drive rod. The flywheel mass can absorb kinetic energy during a propulsion phase and cause retraction of the lancet after reaching a maximum piercing depth. The flywheel mass can be a flywheel connected via a connecting rod to the drive rod and is set into rotation during propulsion of the lancet. After overcoming a dead center defining the maximum piercing depth, rotational energy stored in the flywheel causes the retraction of the lancet. At a specific angle, the rotation of the flywheel is stopped and the residual piercing depth is defined.

Claims

1. A device for acquiring a blood sample, the device comprising:

a lancet for piercing into skin of a body part in a controlled forward and back movement and for subsequently and immediately, partially retracting in order to receive blood exiting from the piercing;

a puncture drive comprising a drive rod coupled to the lancet and a drive spring acting in a direction of a piercing axis of the lancet;

a control unit for controlling the piercing and retraction of the lancet according to a predetermined movement profile comprising at least one rapid propulsion phase, in which the lancet pierces up to a predetermined maximum piercing depth, and a rapid retraction phase, in which the lancet is partially retracted to a predetermined residual piercing depth;

a movably mounted flywheel mass; and

a coupling element for coupling the flywheel mass to the drive rod in such a manner that the propulsion phase of the lancet sets the flywheel mass into motion and, after reaching the maximum piercing depth, movement energy stored in the flywheel mass causes the retraction of the lancet.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein a coupling drive comprising at least one flywheel body movable along a linear movement path and a coupling rod, wherein one end of the coupling rod is connected to the drive rod and the other end mounted on the flywheel body in such a manner that the propulsion of the lancet sets the flywheel body into a translational movement and, after reaching be reversal point of the lancet, the movement energy stored in the flywheel body causes the retraction of the lancet.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the linear movement path of the flywheel body runs substantially perpendicular to the piercing axis of the lancet.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein the linear movement path of the flywheel body is a substantially straight line running diagonally relative to the piercing axis of the lancet at an angle of between about 5°

and about 45°

.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein a movement path of the flywheel mass is curved and substantially circular.

6. The device according to claim 1, further comprising,

a crank drive comprising at least one rotatable mounted flywheel and a connecting rod, wherein one end of the connecting rod is connected to the drive rod and the other end is mounted eccentrically on the flywheel, so that the propulsion of the lancet sets the flywheel into rotation and, after overcoming top dead center, which defines the maximum piercing depth, the rotational energy stored in the flywheel causes the retraction of the lancet.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein a rotational axis of the flywheel is situated substantially transversely to the piercing axis of the lancet.

8. The device according to claim 6, wherein the retraction of the lancet occurs against a tension force of a compression spring.

9. The device according to claim 6, wherein a rotational axis of the flywheel is placed with lateral spacing to a movement axis of the lancet.

10. The device according to claim 6, wherein the drive spring is a compression spring situated coaxially around the drive rod, a plunger is provided on the drive rod against which the compression spring presses, and the connecting rod is connected via the plunger to the drive rod.

11. The device according to claim 6, wherein the flywheel has a driven stop element, which hits a fixed counter stop at a predetermined angle to stop rotational movement of the flywheel defining the residual piercing depth.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the stop element adheres magnetically to the counter stop, in order to fix the puncture drive.

13. The device according to claim 6, wherein two flywheels are arranged opposite to one another on both sides of the drive rod, wherein a transverse yoke is situated on the drive rod, and wherein the two opposing ends of the transverse yoke are each connected by a crankshaft to the flywheels.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the two flywheels are synchronized with one another.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the two flywheels have gearings on the front faces of the flywheels such that the gearings engage each other.

16. The device according to claim 13, wherein the transverse yoke is pivotally mounted.

17. The device according to claim 6, wherein the puncture drive and the crank drive are arranged on a sliding carriage, which is displaceable parallel to the movement axis of the lancet.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein a tension stop is seated on at least one flywheel of the crank drive, which hits a tension counter stop as a result of a displacement of the sliding carriage opposite to the propulsion direction of the lancet, whereby the flywheel is rotated back in order to tension the compression spring.