LANCET DEVICE WITH LANCE RETRACTION

• US 20110029006A1
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NSP Tech Pte Ltd
• Original Assignee: Joseph Lum Wah Leong
• Inventors: Leong, Joseph Lum Wah
• Granted Patent: US 8,317,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/182
• 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 5/150503 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 5/150541 Breakable protectors, e.g. caps, shields or sleeves, i.e. protectors separated destructively, e.g. by breaking a connecting area
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150893 by indicating if used, tampered with, unsterile or defective
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15111 Semi-automatically triggered, e.g. at the end of the cocking procedure, for instance by biasing the main drive spring or when reaching sufficient contact pressure, the piercing device is automatically triggered without any deliberate action by the user
• 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 5/1513 comprising linear sliding guides comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15144 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for retracting the piercing unit into the housing

Abstract

A lancet device comprises a hollow housing defining a cavity and having a proximal end and a distal end. It also comprises a slider slidable at least partially within the cavity of the hollow housing along a longitudinal axis from an outward position to a pushed position. The slider extends outside of the cavity beyond the proximal end of the hollow housing when it is in the outward position. The lancet device also comprises a needle holder holding a lance. The needle holder is rotatable about and translatable along the longitudinal axis when moved from an initial position to an extended position. When the needle holder is in the initial position, the slider is in the outward position. When the needle holder is in the extended position, the lance extends outside of the cavity beyond the proximal end of the hollow housing. The sliding of the slider from the outward position to the pushed position urges the needle holder to the extended position. There is also a first biasing member positioned within the hollow housing at the distal end. The first biasing member exerts a biasing force against the needle holder toward the proximal end when the slider is moved to the pushed position. A second biasing member can be present in the lancet device.

Claims

1. A lancet device comprising, in combination:

a. a hollow housing with a longitudinal axis and a proximal end and distal end, the hollow housing having,

a proximal end opening extending through the hollow housing to a housing interior, and

at least one guide rail on an interior wall of the housing interior, extending in a direction between the proximal end and distal end, the guide rail having a free end;

b. a slider retained by the hollow housing in sliding engagement with the hollow housing, the slider comprising,

a trigger portion to protrude at least in part from the proximal end,

at least one drive portion extending into the housing interior, that includes a driving surface;

c. a needle holder that carries a lance, the needle holder in sliding and rotational engagement within the housing interior, the needle holder defining a drivable surface that can engage the driving surface of the slider, the lance carried by the needle holder in an orientation with a puncturing end of the lance directed toward the proximal end; and

d. a biasing means to urge the needle holder toward the proximal end and against the slider,

wherein at least one of the driving and drivable surfaces is angled to bias the needle holder against the guide rail during

displacement of the needle holder towards the distal end, and to send the drivable surface over the free end once the drivable surface is driven towards the distal end until the drivable surface is able to rotate about the longitudinal axis, and

then to pass over the free end and be fired by the biasing means with sufficient momentum toward the proximal end to extend the puncturing end through the proximal end opening with sufficient force to pierce tissue brought into contact therewith, and

then to be retracted by the biasing means sufficient to hold the puncturing end not beyond the proximal end opening.

2. The lancet device of claim 1 wherein the driving surface is planar and extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, with a surface normal of the driving surface being at an angle to the longitudinal axis and extending toward the distal end.

3. The lancet device of claim 1 wherein the drivable surface is planar and extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, with a surface normal of the drivable surface at an angle to the longitudinal axis and extending toward the proximal end.

4. The lancet device of claim 3 wherein the drivable surface is planar and extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, with a surface normal of the drivable surface at an angle to the longitudinal axis and extending toward the proximal end, the guide rail end surface and the drivable surface being parallel to each other.

5. The lancet device of claim 1 wherein the drive portion comprises at least one elongate leg that defines the driving surface at the distal end thereof, and the elongate leg is in sliding engagement with a longitudinally extending guide surface of the guide rail.

6. The lancet device of claim 1 wherein the trigger portion of the slider, at least before firing, extends through the proximal end opening, and the trigger portion includes an aperture therethrough, to define an opening for the puncturing end to pass through during firing.

7. The lancet device of claim 1 wherein the lance is covered by a removable guard that is removable from the lance prior to displacement of the needle holder;

a safety cover for covering the otherwise open proximal end and trigger portion to prevent accidental actuation of the device;

wherein the safety cover comprises a cap;

wherein removal of the safety cover also removes the removable guard from the lance;

wherein the removable guard is attachable to the safety cover by one of welding, an adhesive, and a clip of the removal guard that can clip into an aperture of the safety cover;

wherein a cap cover engages with the safety cap to at least in part cover the aperture of the safety cover and at least in part retain the removable guard to the safety cap.

8. The lancet device of claim 1 wherein there are stops at the proximal end to retain the slider and the needle holder within the hollow housing, the elongate leg has a stop surface to engage the stops, and the stop surface is formed by a proximal presenting surface on the elongate leg.

9. The lancet device of claim 1 wherein a guide body is provided to locate with the distal end opening of the hollow housing to enable assembly in the correct pre-firing rotational orientation of the slider and needle holder within the hollow housing, the guide body being removable after assembly of the slider and needle holder with the hollow housing.

10. The lancet device of claim 9 wherein a guide aperture is provided in the guide body complimentary to the axial cross sectional shape of the slider and the needle holder and opening into the hollow housing when assembled therewith, and wherein the guide body comprises,

at least one locating portion to engage with the hollow housing,

wherein the at least one locating portion aligns the guide aperture on the hollow housing to allow assembly therethrough of the slider and the needle holder into the correct pre-firing orientation against the guide rail of the hollow housing.

11. The lancet device of claim 10 wherein the at least one locating portion includes an elongate guide leg to extend into the hollow housing to lie against or toward the free end, the elongate guide leg including a guide surface, for the slider and needle holder, running from the guide aperture towards the free end, the guide surface aligned with the guide rail to deliver the slider and the needle holder to the guide rail during assembly.

12. A lancet device comprising, in combination:

a hollow housing defining a cavity and having a proximal end and a distal end;

a slider slidable at least partially within the cavity of the hollow housing along a longitudinal axis from an outward position to a pushed position, wherein the slider extends outside of the cavity beyond the proximal end of the hollow housing when in the outward position;

a needle holder holding a lance, rotatable about and translatable along the longitudinal axis when moved from an initial position to an extended position, wherein the slider is in the outward position when the needle holder is in the initial position, and the lance extends outside of the cavity beyond the proximal end of the hollow housing when the needle holder is in the extended position;

a first biasing member positioned within the hollow housing at the distal end, the biasing member exerts a biasing force against the needle holder toward the proximal end when the slider is moved to the pushed position;

a second biasing member; and

wherein sliding of the slider from the outward position to the pushed position urges the needle holder to the extended position.

13. The lancet device of claim 12, wherein the second biasing member is an elastic band attached to the slider.

14. The lancet device of claim 13 wherein the needle holder engages the second biasing member when the needle holder moves to the extended position, urging the needle holder to move to a retracted position wherein the lance is retracted back into the cavity.

15. The lancet device of claim 12, wherein the slider defines at least one groove and the second biasing member is positioned in the groove.

16. The lancet device of claim 12, wherein the needle holder comprises of a pair of outer wings and a pair of inner wings and the outer wings are closer to an inner wall of the hollow housing than the inner wings.

17. The lancet device of claim 16 wherein the inner wings engage the second biasing member when the needle holder is in the extended position, the second biasing member exerts a biasing force to bias the needle holder from the extended position to a retracted position wherein the lance is retracted back into the cavity.

18. The lancet device of claim 16, wherein the outer wings slidably engage the slider.

19. The lancet device of claim 12, further comprising a cap defining an interior, and the needle holder further comprises a needle guard positioned around the lance, adapted to be received by the interior of the cap.

20. The lancet device of claim 19 wherein the needle guard has a surface which engages the cap at the interior.

21. The lancet device of claim 20 wherein one of the cap interior and the needle guard surface has a circular cross section, and the other of the cap interior and the needle guard surface of the needle guard has a non-circular cross section.

22. The lancet device of claim 19, wherein the cap is attached to the needle holder by one of adhesive and welding.

23. The lancet device of claim 12, wherein the hollow housing further comprises at least one stopper element formed as a unitary extension on an interior wall of the hollow housing, wherein the at least one stopper element restricts movement of the slider toward the distal end.

24. The lancet device of claim 12, further comprising an exterior surface comprises one of an exterior of the hollow housing and an integral appliqué

attached to the hollow housing.

25. The lancet device of claim 12 further comprising a base at the distal end, wherein the first biasing member is positioned between the base and the needle holder.

26. The lancet device of claim 25 further comprising a spring holder, wherein the first biasing member is a spring attached to the base at the spring holder.