MULTI-LANCET UNIT, METHOD AND LANCET DEVICE USING THE MULTI-LANCET UNIT, AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING AND/OR MAKING THE MULTI-LANCET UNIT

• US 20110160759A1
• Filed: 02/08/2008
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stat Medical Devices Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stat Medical Devices Incorporated
• Inventors: Fuller, Paul R., Schwartz, Brian, Carhart, David A., Schraga, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 9,017,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/172
• 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 5/150198 Depth adjustment mechanism at the proximal end of the carrier of the piercing element
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150274 Manufacture or production processes or steps for blood sampling devices
• 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 5/150534 Design of protective means for piercing elements for preventing accidental needle sticks, e.g. shields, caps, protectors, axially extensible sleeves, pivotable protective sleeves
• 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 5/15155 Piercing elements which are specially shaped or are provided with fittings or attachments to facilitate nesting, stacking or joining together end-to-end or side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15174 Piercing elements stocked in the form of a stack or pile
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1518 Security or safety mechanism to be deactivated for forwarding next piercing element
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15182 Means for keeping track or checking of the total number of piercing elements already used or the number of piercing elements still remaining in the stocking, e.g. by check window, counter, display

Abstract

A lancet device includes a housing, a trigger, a system for placing the lancet device in a trigger-set or armed position, and a multi-lancet unit comprising a plurality of lancets arranged one in front of the other and positioned in the housing. Each lancet includes a front end, a needle which extends from the front end, and a rear end. The front end of at least one of the plurality lancets is removably connected to the rear end of another of the plurality of lancets. A method of puncturing a surface of skin using the lancet device includes arranging the lancet device adjacent against a user'"'"'s skin and triggering the lancet device so that one of the plurality of lancet is caused to penetrate the user'"'"'s skin.

Claims

1. A lancet device comprising:

a housing;

a trigger;

a system for placing the lancet device in a trigger-set or armed position;

a multi-lancet unit comprising a plurality of lancets arranged one in front of the other and positioned in the housing; and

each lancet comprising a front end, a needle which extends from the front end, and a rear end,

wherein the front end of at least one of the plurality lancets is removably connected to the rear end of another of the plurality of lancets.

2. The lancet device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lancets comprises two lancets.

3. The lancet device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lancets comprises at least three lancets.

4. The lancet device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lancets is between five lancets and twenty lancets.

5. The lancet device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lancets is between eight lancets and twelve lancets.

6. The lancet device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of lancets comprises a generally cylindrical portion.

7. The lancet device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of lancets comprises a generally circular cross-section when viewed perpendicular to a center axis of the plurality of lancets.

8. The lancet device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of lancets comprises a locking mechanism.

9. The lancet device of claim 8, wherein the locking mechanism comprises at least one of a circumferential locking recess and a tapered recess.

10. The lancet device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of lancets comprises a locking recess.

11. The lancet device of claim 1, further comprising a depth adjustment system.

12. The lancet device of claim 1, further comprising:

a depth adjustment system; and

a holding member which houses the multi-lancet unit.

13. The lancet device of claim 1, further comprising:

a movable holding member which is configured to receive the multi-lancet unit; and

a rotatably mounted depth adjustment element.

14. The lancet device of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

a system for removing or ejecting a lancet of the plurality of lancets; and

a system for advancing or positioning an unused lancet into a position previously held by a used lancet that has been removed.

15. The lancet device of claim 1, further comprising a manually activated system for removing or ejecting a used lancet of the multi-lancet unit.

16. The lancet device of claim 1, further comprising a system for removing or ejecting a used lancet of the multi-lancet unit and for causing removal of a front cap.

17. A method of puncturing a surface of skin using the lancet device of claim 1, the method comprising:

arranging the lancet device adjacent against a user'"'"'s skin; and

triggering the lancet device so that one of the plurality of lancet is caused to penetrate the user'"'"'s skin.

18. A method of puncturing a surface of skin using the lancet device of claim 11, the method comprising:

arranging the lancet device adjacent against a user'"'"'s skin; and

triggering the lancet device so that one of the plurality of lancet is caused to penetrate the user'"'"'s skin.

19. A method of puncturing a surface of skin using the lancet device of claim 16, the method comprising:

arranging the lancet device adjacent against a user'"'"'s skin; and

triggering the lancet device so that one of the plurality of lancet is caused to penetrate the user'"'"'s skin.

20. A lancet device comprising:

a housing;

a trigger;

a depth adjustment system;

a plurality of lancets arranged one in front of the other and positioned in the housing; and

each lancet comprising a front end, a needle which extends from the front end, and a rear end,

wherein the front end of at least one of the plurality lancets is removably connected to the rear end of another of the plurality of lancets.

21. The lancet device of claim 20, wherein the plurality of lancets comprise at least three lancets.

22. The lancet device of claim 20, wherein the plurality of lancets is between eight lancets and twelve lancets.

23. The lancet device of claim 20, wherein each of the plurality of lancets comprises a generally cylindrical portion.

24. The lancet device of claim 20, further comprising a system for placing the lancet device in a trigger-set or armed position.

25. The lancet device of claim 20, further comprising a holding member which houses the plurality of lancets.

26. The lancet device of claim 20, wherein the plurality of lancets comprises a multi-lancet unit and further comprising a system for removing or ejecting a lancet of the multi-lancet unit.

27. The lancet device of claim 20, wherein the plurality of lancets comprises a multi-lancet unit and further comprising a manually activated system for removing or ejecting a used lancet of the multi-lancet unit.

28. The lancet device of claim 20, wherein the plurality of lancets comprises a multi-lancet unit and further comprising a system for removing or ejecting a used lancet of the multi-lancet unit and for causing removal of a front cap.

29. A method of puncturing a surface of skin using the lancet device of claim 20, the method comprising:

arranging the lancet device adjacent against a user'"'"'s skin; and

triggering the lancet device so that one of the plurality of lancet is caused to penetrate the user'"'"'s skin.

30. A lancet device comprising:

a trigger;

a depth adjustment system;

a system for placing the lancet device is a trigger-set position;

a plurality of lancets arranged one in front of the other;

a multi-lancet unit comprising a plurality of lancets arranged one in front of the other; and

a system for axially moving or advancing the multi-lancet unit.

31. A multi-lancet unit comprising:

a plurality of lancets arranged one in front of the other and positioned in the housing; and

a first lancet comprising a front end, a needle which extends from the front end, and a rear opening sized to receive therein a lancet needle of a second lancet arranged behind the first lancet,

wherein the first and second lancets are connected together via at least one of;

a releasable snap connection; and

a connection formed by frictional engagement between an annular flange of the second lancet and a recess arranged in a rear end of the first lancet