VARIABLE FIT LANCET

• US 20110009891A1
• Filed: 07/01/2008
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Facet Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Facet Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Ruf, Christopher J., Lipoma, Michael V., Stout, Jeffrey T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,721,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/181
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1411 by percutaneous method, e.g. by lancet
• 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 5/150519 Details of construction of hub, i.e. element used to attach the single-ended needle to a piercing device or sampling device
• 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

Abstract

A lancet having a lancet body and a sharp lancing tip extending from the lancet body, the lancet body including at least one flexing engagement fin, which is resiliently deformable upon insertion into a receiver of a lancing device. The outer dimension of the lancet effectively self-adjusts to conform to a wide range of receiver inner dimensions, and as such, the lancet of the present invention enables universal application with a larger range of lancing devices than previously known lancets.

Claims

1. A lancet comprising a lancet body and a sharp lancing tip extending from the lancet body, the lancet body comprising at least one flexing engagement fin, whereby the at least one flexing engagement fin is resiliently deformable upon insertion into a receiver of a lancing device.

2. The lancet of claim 1, wherein the at least one flexing engagement fin extends lengthwise in an axial direction along at least a portion of the lancet body.

3. The lancet of claim 1, further comprising at least one stiffening rib extending along the lancet body.

4. The lancet of claim 1, comprising at least three flexing engagement fins.

5. The lancet of claim 1, comprising four flexing engagement fins.

6. The lancet of claim 5, wherein the four flexing engagement fins are arranged to define a generally H-shaped fin configuration.

7. The lancet of claim 5, wherein the four flexing engagement fins are arranged to define a generally X-shaped fin configuration.

8. The lancet of claim 1, wherein each flexing engagement fin is thicker at a base edge thereof and thinner at a free edge thereof, thereby providing a progressively increasing degree of flexure.

9. The lancet of claim 5, wherein a medial portion of each flexing engagement fin tapers in a progressively widening fashion from its distal end.

10. The lancet of claim 1, further comprising a radially outwardly extending stop member to provide consistent seating of the lancet in the receiver.

11. A lancet comprising a body and a sharp lancet tip, the body of the lancet comprising a plurality of outwardly projecting engagement fins, each of the plurality of outwardly projecting engagement fins having a base edge and a free edge, the free edge being flexibly movable relative to the base edge between an unflexed state and a flexed state, whereby the free edges of the outwardly projecting engagement fins are circumscribable within a first receiver periphery in their unflexed state and are circumscribable within a second receiver periphery in their flexed state, the first receiver periphery defining a first peripheral dimension and the second receiver periphery defining a corresponding second peripheral dimension, the first peripheral dimension being larger than the second peripheral dimension.

12. The lancet of claim 11, wherein the plurality of outwardly projecting engagement fins comprises at least three outwardly projecting engagement fins.

13. The lancet of claim 11, wherein the plurality of outwardly projecting engagement fins comprises four outwardly projecting engagement fins.

14. The lancet of claim 11, wherein the four outwardly projecting engagement fins are arranged in two diametrically opposed pairs forming a generally H-shaped configuration.

15. The lancet of claim 11, wherein the four outwardly projecting engagement fins are radially oriented and form a generally X-shaped configuration.

16. The lancet of claim 11, wherein the plurality of outwardly projecting engagement fins are angularly spaced at between about 30°

to about 150°

between one another.

17. The lancet of claim 11, wherein the plurality of outwardly projecting engagement fins are angularly spaced at about 90°

between one another.

18. The lancet of claim 11, wherein the base edge of each of the plurality of outwardly projecting engagement fins is thicker than the free edge, thereby providing an increasing degree of flexure toward the free edge.

19. The lancet of claim 11, wherein a medial portion of each of the plurality of outwardly projecting engagement fins tapers in a progressively widening fashion from its distal end.

20. The lancet of claim 11, further comprising a radially outwardly extending stop member.

21. The lancet of claim 11, further comprising at least one stiffening rib extending along the lancet body.

22. A lancet comprising a body having a central core with four flexible engagement fins projecting outwardly therefrom along at least a portion of the central core'"'"'s length, each of the four flexible engagement fins having a root edge attached to the central core and a free edge distal its root edge, the root edge defining a first thickness and the free edge defining a second thickness, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness.

23. The lancet of claim 22, wherein the four flexible engagement fins are arranged in two diametrically opposed pairs forming a generally H-shaped configuration.

24. The lancet of claim 22, wherein the four flexible engagement fins are radially oriented and form a generally X-shaped configuration.

25. The lancet of claim 22, wherein the four flexible engagement fins define a fin depth between the root edge and the free edge, and wherein the fin depth tapers inwardly toward a rear end of the lancet.

26. The lancet of claim 22, further comprising at least one stiffening rib extending along the lancet body.

27. The lancet of claim 22, further comprising a circumferential stop ring extending radially outwardly from the central core.

28. The lancet of claim 22, wherein the four flexible engagement fins are angularly spaced at between about 30°

to about 150°

from one another.

29. The lancet of claim 22, wherein the four flexible engagement fins are angularly spaced at about 90°

between one another.