Disposable lancet device
First Claim
1. A disposable pricker comprising a barrel, a lancet carried therein and having a tip pointing towards the forward end of the barrel, spring means acting between the barrel and the lancet, the lancet normally being in a withdrawn position but on energisation and release of the spring means attaining a position in which the tip momentarily projects beyond said forward end of the barrel, and a spring priming element captive to the barrel in a forward position and having an engagement with the lancet which is releasable in a rearward position, the priming element being shiftable from its forward to its rearward position to move the lancet to a fully retracted position energising and enabling release of the spring means and being rendered by its co-operation with the barrel at the rearward position incapable of being restored to its forward position, thereby making the pricker usable once only.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A blood sampling device in the form of a small manually operated pricker has a barrel (7,21) in which a lancet (1) is captive with a spring (17,22). Partly embracing the barrel is a C-section sleeve (12,30) with a projection (16,35) extending through a slot (10,25) in the barrel to engage the lancet. Initially the lancet is in a forward position with its tip (4) slightly retracted and the spring relaxed, and to prime the device the sleeve is slid to the rear, taking the lancet with it and energising the spring. The lancet may be held there by its tail (1A) being gripped by the barrel (7) while the sleeve (12) is irreversibly deformed or broken by a formation (11) on the barrel and then discarded. The lancet is subsequently released to prick by pressing the tail (1A). Alternatively, the sleeve (30) may be trapped at the rearward position and the lancet released by a trigger (32) on the sleeve withdrawing the projection (35).
224 Citations
11 Claims
- 1. A disposable pricker comprising a barrel, a lancet carried therein and having a tip pointing towards the forward end of the barrel, spring means acting between the barrel and the lancet, the lancet normally being in a withdrawn position but on energisation and release of the spring means attaining a position in which the tip momentarily projects beyond said forward end of the barrel, and a spring priming element captive to the barrel in a forward position and having an engagement with the lancet which is releasable in a rearward position, the priming element being shiftable from its forward to its rearward position to move the lancet to a fully retracted position energising and enabling release of the spring means and being rendered by its co-operation with the barrel at the rearward position incapable of being restored to its forward position, thereby making the pricker usable once only.
Specification