Lancet assembly

• US 5,074,872 A
• Filed: 07/25/1990
• Issued: 12/24/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Miles, Inc. (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Miles, Inc. (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Kheiri, Mohammed, Taylor, William, Brown, Michael K., Purcell, D. Glenn, Whitson, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US07/557,452
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 606/181, 606/167, 606/170, 606/172, 606/182, 606/183, 606/184
• US Class Current: 606/182
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15019 Depth adjustment mechanism using movable stops located inside the piercing device housing and limiting the travel of the drive mechanism mechanisms using distal end caps A61B5/150183, mechanisms at the piercing element carrier proximal end A61B5/150198
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150435 Specific design of proximal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150549 Protectors removed by rotational movement, e.g. torsion or screwing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150618 Integrally moulded protectors, e.g. protectors simultaneously moulded together with a further component, e.g. a hub, of the piercing element
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150633 Protective sleeves which are axially extensible, e.g. sleeves connected to, or integrated in, the piercing or driving device; pivotable protective sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150717 manually removed
• 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 5/15142 Devices intended for single use, i.e. disposable
• 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

Abstract

A lancet assembly includes a reusable base unit that defines a handle for a lancet assembly and houses a biasing mechanism for driving a lancet into the finger of a user. The base unit includes a spring biased hammer that once cocked, can be released to drive a lancet. A lancet is included in a disposable end cap that may be releasible attached to one end of the base unit. The end cap includes integral resilience spring fingers that maintain the lancet completely within the end cap before and after use, and functions to return the lancet after engagement of the lancet and hammer. The end cap can be rotated to orient the end cap relative to user'"'"'s finger to control the depth of penetration of the lancet into the user'"'"'s finger.

Claims

1. A lancet for a lancet assembly for piercing skin of a user upon engagement by a hammer housed in said lancet assembly, said lancet comprising:

a first, skin piercing end for piercing the skin of a user of the lancet assembly upon said lancet being driven by a hammer in said lancet assembly,

a second, anvil end adapted for engagement by said hammer, and

a collar intermediate said first, skin piercing end and said second, anvil end, said collar including orienting structure for orienting said lancet in said lancet assembly and for preventing rotation of said lancet relative to said lancet assembly.

2. The lancet set forth in claim 1 further comprising a flange on said collar for engaging said lancet assembly to limit the travel of said lancet in said lancet assembly upon engagement by said hammer.