SURGICAL LANCET HAVING CASING

• US 3,760,809 A
• Filed: 10/22/1971
• Issued: 09/25/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stephen P. Campbell Jr
• Original Assignee: Stephen P. Campbell Jr
• Inventors: Campbell, Stephen P. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pace, Channing L.
• Application Number:
  US05/191,948
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2F,2R,305,314,329,330,333
• US Class Current: 606/182
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32093 for skin incisions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150068 by tissue compression, e.g. with specially designed surface of device contacting the skin area to be pierced
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150175 Adjustment of penetration depth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150267 Modular design or construction, i.e. subunits are assembled separately before being joined together or the device comprises interchangeable or detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150282 for piercing elements, e.g. blade, lancet, canula, needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150328 by aseptic fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150458 Specific blade design, e.g. for improved cutting and penetration characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150465 Specific design of proximal end
• 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 5/1519 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for propelling the piercing unit

Abstract

A surgical lancet which has a blade resiliently driven to lance dermal tissue with a snap action has a presser foot that forms a cavity directly over the dermal tissue being lanced and has a cavity-encircling rim for placing against tissue adjacent the lancing site. The rim presses against the dermal tissue to pucker tissue at the lancing site into the cavity and to constrict veinal capillaries adjacent the lancing site. The puckered tissue ensures that the lance is not pressed into bone structure, and the vasoconstriction causes a localized engorgement at the lancing site. The lancet further has a manually holdable casing that forms an aseptic enclosure for the lancing blade, with a septum that the blade pierces in snaping to the lancing position.

Claims

1. A surgical lancet having i. a manually holdable first member, ii. a presser foot disposed on said first member for placing against dermal tissue to be lanced, iii. a lancing blade pointed in a first direction, and iv. means mounting said blade to said first member for movement relative to said first member between a lancing position where said blade protrudes in said first direction beyond said presser foot, and a retracted position where said blade is removed from said presser foot in a second direction opposite to said first direction, and having the improvement wherein said presser foot A. has vasoconstricting rim means at least partially encircling a first area through which said blade protrudes when in said lancing position and adapted to constrIct along the periphery of said area veinal capillaries of the dermal tissue to be lanced by said blade, and B. forms cavity means within said rim means and recessed from said rim means in said second direction for a depth sufficient to receive, without significant constriction of veinal capillaries therein, dermal tissue bounded by said rim means.

2. carrying latching means engageable with said latch section to hold said blade in said retracted position, and

3. A lancet according to claim 1 having the further improvement in that said rim means of said presser foot is contoured to seat on a human finger.

4. A surgical lancet having i. a manually holdable first member, ii. a presser foot disposed on said first member for placing against dermal tissue to be lanced, iii. a lancing blade pointed in a first direction, and iv. means mounting said blade to said first member for movement relative thereto between a lancing position where said blade protrudes in said first direction beyond said presser foot, and a retracted position where said blade is removed from said presser foot in a second direction opposite to said first direction, and having the improvement comprising a body casing totally enclosing said mounting means and blade and forming an aseptic enclosure therefor, said casing forming said first member and said presser foot, and having a normally intact septum forming part of said enclosure and pierced by said blade in the movement thereof from said retracted position to said lancing position.

5. A lancet according to claim 4 having the further improvement wherein A. said mounting means includes an elongated spring member having a mounting section at a first end, a latch section at another end and a blade-driving spring section therebetween which carries said blade, said spring member resiliently urging said blade thereon to move with a snap-action from said retracted position to said lancing position, and B. two matingly engaging casing elements form said aseptically-enclosing casing, said casing elements

6. A lancet according to claim 5 wherein said casing elements further form flexible web means forming part of said casing enclosure and mounting said release actuator for said disengaging movement.