LANCING DEVICE WITH TETHERED DEPTH-CONTROL MECHANISM

• US 20110313438A1
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Facet Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Facet Technologies LLC
• Inventors: ROBBINS, Avi M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,512,366 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 5/150412 Pointed piercing elements, e.g. needles, lancets for piercing the skin blade-like piercing elements A61B5/150442
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150473 Double-ended needles, e.g. used with pre-evacuated sampling tubes 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 5/15113 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 5/15186 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
• 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

Abstract

A lancing device having a housing with a proximal end, a distal end and a longitudinal axis. The lancing device also has a lancet carrier translatably supported with respect to the housing. The lancet carrier has a proximal end and a distal end. The lancing device additionally has a depth-control mechanism with a positioning tab adapted to engage the housing, and a tether secured with respect to the positioning tab and the lancet carrier.

Claims

1. A lancing device comprising:

a housing comprising a proximal end, a distal end and a longitudinal axis;

a lancet carrier translatably supported with respect to the housing, the lancet carrier having a proximal end and a distal end; and

a depth-control mechanism comprising a positioning tab adapted to engage the housing, and a tether secured with respect to the positioning tab and the lancet carrier.

2. The lancing device of claim 1 further comprising a drive mechanism secured with respect to the lancet carrier, wherein the drive mechanism is adapted to drive the lancet carrier with respect to the housing distal end.

3. The lancing device of claim 2, wherein the depth-control mechanism is adapted to control the distance the lancet carrier is driven with respect to the housing distal end.

4. The lancing device of claim 3, wherein the depth-control mechanism comprises at least one engagement contact to releasably engage the housing.

5. The lancing device of claim 4, wherein the depth-control mechanism is adapted to engage predetermined locations along the housing.

6. The lancing device of claim 1, wherein the tether is pivotally connected to the lancet carrier proximal end.

7. The lancing device of claim 1, wherein the depth-control mechanism is adapted to control the translation of the lancet carrier with respect to the housing.

8. The lancing device of claim 7, wherein the depth-control mechanism further comprises a proximal coupling secured with respect to the lancet carrier proximal end.

9. The lancing device of claim 8, wherein the tether is adapted to pivotally connect the proximal coupling to the positioning tab.

10. The lancing device of claim 9, wherein the flexible tether comprises at least two pivotal links.

11. The lancing device of claim 10, wherein the tether comprises a proximal pivotal link pivotally connected to the proximal coupling and a distal pivotal link pivotally connected to the positioning tab, and wherein the proximal pivotal link is pivotally connected to the distal pivotal link.

12. The lancing device of claim 9, wherein the tether comprises a length of flexible material secured between the proximal coupling and the positioning tab.

13. The lancing device of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a plurality of parallel notches adapted to receive the positioning tab.

14. A depth-control mechanism for a lancing device comprising a drive-mechanism-driven lancet carrier translatably secured within a housing, the depth-control mechanism comprising:

an engagement body, the engagement body adapted to releasably engage a predetermined location on the housing; and

a tether connected between the engagement body and the lancet carrier, the tether is adapted to transition between a retracted state and an extended state;

wherein the depth-control mechanism is adapted to control the distance the lancet carrier is driven with respect to the housing.

15. The depth-control mechanism of claim 14, wherein the tether comprises at least two pivotal links.

16. The depth-control mechanism of claim 14, wherein the tether comprises a first member pivotally connected with respect to the lancet carrier and a second member pivotally connected with respect to the engagement body.

17. The depth-control member of claim 15, wherein the first member is pivotally connected with respect to the second member.

18. The depth-control member of claim 17, wherein the first member and the second member are adapted to pivot horizontally with respect to the lancet carrier.

19. The depth-control member of claim 14, wherein the tether comprises a length of flexible material.

20. A depth-control mechanism for a lancing device comprising a drive-mechanism-driven lancet carrier translatably secured within a housing, the depth-control mechanism comprising:

an engagement body, the engagement body adapted to releasably engage a predetermined location on the housing; and

a joint comprising a first member pivotally connected with respect to the engagement body and a second member pivotally connected with respect to the lancet carrier, the first member being pivotally connected to the second member;

wherein the depth-control mechanism is adapted to control the distance the lancet carrier is driven with respect to the housing.