VACUUM ASSISTED LANCING SYSTEM WITH DEPTH CONTROLLER AND METHOD FOR BLOOD EXTRACTION WITH MINIMAL PAIN
First Claim
1. A lancing system for blood extraction, comprising:
- a tubular body having a central longitudinal axis, a lancing end and a longitudinally opposite free end;
a lancing mechanism coupled to the lancing end of the body, the lancing mechanism including a lancing shaft having a lance coupling end and an actuating end, the lancing shaft being slideably coupled along the longitudinal axis with the lancing end of the body;
a main shaft slideably coupled with the body along the longitudinal axis, the main shaft having an actuating end disposed inside the body and a free end disposed outside the body;
a piston coupled to the main shaft and disposed within the body;
a spring coupled to the piston so that the piston is biased toward the free end of the body;
a release mechanism coupled to the body and adapted to selectively couple with the main shaft; and
a depth controller removably coupled to the lancing end of the body, the depth controller having a calibrated spacer with a top surface, a predetermined thickness and an opening adapted to allow at least a portion of a lance to pass there through.
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Abstract
A lancing system can include a device body having a lancing end, a lancing mechanism including a lancing shaft slideably coupled with the lancing end of the body, a main shaft slideably coupled with the body and having an actuating end disposed inside the body, a piston coupled to the main shaft and disposed within the body, a spring coupled to the piston, a release mechanism adapted to selectively couple with the main shaft, and a depth controller removably coupled to the lancing end of the body. A method can include coupling a lance having a needle and a base to the lancing shaft, choosing to use a depth controller having a spacer with a top surface and an opening, engaging a lancing surface with the depth controller, actuating the lancing mechanism, penetrating the lancing surface, and contacting the top surface of the spacer with the base.
21 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A lancing system for blood extraction, comprising:
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a tubular body having a central longitudinal axis, a lancing end and a longitudinally opposite free end; a lancing mechanism coupled to the lancing end of the body, the lancing mechanism including a lancing shaft having a lance coupling end and an actuating end, the lancing shaft being slideably coupled along the longitudinal axis with the lancing end of the body; a main shaft slideably coupled with the body along the longitudinal axis, the main shaft having an actuating end disposed inside the body and a free end disposed outside the body; a piston coupled to the main shaft and disposed within the body; a spring coupled to the piston so that the piston is biased toward the free end of the body; a release mechanism coupled to the body and adapted to selectively couple with the main shaft; and a depth controller removably coupled to the lancing end of the body, the depth controller having a calibrated spacer with a top surface, a predetermined thickness and an opening adapted to allow at least a portion of a lance to pass there through. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of extracting blood from a lancing surface with a lancing system including a tubular body having a central longitudinal axis, a lancing end and a longitudinally opposite free end, a lancing mechanism coupled to the lancing end of the body, the lancing mechanism including a lancing shaft having a lance coupling end and an actuating end, the lancing shaft being slideably coupled along the longitudinal axis to the lancing end of the body, a main shaft slideably coupled with the body along the longitudinal axis, the main shaft having an actuating end disposed inside the body and a free end disposed outside the body, a piston coupled to the main shaft and disposed within the body, a spring coupled to the piston so that the piston is biased toward the free end of the body, a release mechanism coupled to the body and adapted to selectively couple with the main shaft, and at least a first depth controller, the method comprising:
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coupling a lance to the lance coupling end of the lancing shaft, the lance having a needle and a base supporting the needle; choosing to use the first depth controller, the first depth controller having a calibrated first spacer with a top surface, a predetermined thickness and an opening adapted to allow at least a portion of the lance to pass there through; engaging the lancing surface with the depth controller; actuating the lancing mechanism so that the lance moves toward the lancing surface; allowing at least a portion of the needle to pass through the opening of the first spacer; penetrating the surface with the needle; and contacting the top surface of the first spacer with the base, thereby limiting to a first depth the extent to which the needle can penetrate the lancing surface. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A vacuum assisted lancing system for blood extraction, comprising:
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a tubular body having a central longitudinal axis, a lancing end and a free end, the lancing end having a sealing device coupled thereto; a lancing shaft having a lance coupling end and an actuating end, the lancing shaft being slideably coupled along the longitudinal axis to the lancing end of the body; at least one lancing spring coupled to the lancing shaft; a release mechanism coupled to the free end of the body; a main shaft having an actuating end, a free end and a release coupler there between, wherein the main shaft is slideably coupled with the free end of the body along the longitudinal axis so that the release coupler may communicate with the release mechanism, and wherein the actuating end of the main shaft is disposed inside the body toward the actuating end of the lancing shaft, and wherein the free end of the main shaft is disposed outside the body; a piston coupled to the main shaft and disposed within the body so that a vacuum chamber is formed between the sealing device and the piston; an opening that allows fluid communication between the vacuum chamber and an atmosphere surrounding the vacuum chamber; a vacuum spring coupled within the body so that the piston is biased toward the free end of the body and away from the actuating end of the lancing shaft; a shaft coupler having at least two separable portions for removably coupling the lancing shaft to the main shaft, wherein a first portion is coupled to the actuating end of the lancing shaft and a second portion is coupled to the actuating end of the main shaft; and a plurality of user interchangeable depth controllers, each depth controller adapted to be removably coupled to the lancing end of the body and having a calibrated spacer with a top surface, a predetermined thickness and an opening adapted to allow at least a portion of a lance to pass through the spacer. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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Specification