Shielded replaceable lancet blade assembly

• US 5,105,823 A
• Filed: 04/05/1990
• Issued: 04/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alvin S. Blum
• Original Assignee: Alvin S. Blum
• Inventors: Blum, Alvin S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Ruth S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NASSER, ROBERT L
• Application Number:
  US07/505,151
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 604/198, 604/197, 604/263, 128/753, 128/754, 128/637, 128/751, 606/172, 606/182, 606/181, 606/167, 606/171
• US Class Current: 600/567
• 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 5/15117 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

Abstract

A lancet blade assembly for an automatic, spring-loaded skin puncturing instrument provides shielding to the point of a replaceable blade during insertion of the blade into the instrument. It provides free movement of the blade during the puncture operation. After use, the assembly provides shielding of the point during removal. The assembly securely holds the blade with point protected before use and after discarding to prevent accidental puncture with a blood-contaminated blade.

Claims

1. A device for puncturing the skin having a reciprocating driving mechanism for moving a blade mounting means with a skin puncturing lancet in a momentary extending and retracting motion relative to a housing enclosing said mechanism, comprising:

a) an elongate blade means for skin puncturing, said blade means having a first end, an intermediate portion and a sharp, skin-puncturing second end, said first end having a radially asymmetrical shape and said intermediate portion having at least one laterally extending shield-engaging means;

b) a blade driving mechanism for moving said blade means in a momentary extending and retracting, non-rotating reciprocating motion, and blade mounting means for removably mounting said blade means at said first end thereof onto said driving mechanism;

c) housing means for enclosing said driving mechanism and said mounting means, whereby said reciprocating motion momentarily extends and retracts said blade means relative to said housing means;

d) shield means for covering said second end of said blade means when said blade means is retracted, and exposing said second end of said blade means when said blade means is momentarily extended, said shield means provided with housing means, said shield means further including blade-engaging means for removably engaging said shield-engaging means of said blade means;

e) said blade means being securely engaged by said shield means with said sharp, second end held within said shield means by interaction of said shield engaging means with said blade engaging means in a first operating condition for safe handling and disposal of said blade means and said shield means in combination when said shield means is not secured to said housing means; and

f) said blade means being mounted onto said driving mechanism and disengaged from said shield means to permit translatory motion of said blade means relative to said shield means in a a second operation condition when said shield means is secured to said housing means by said housing securing means.

2. The device according to claim 1, in which said blade-engaging means is arranged to engage said shield-engaging means when said shield means is rotated in a first direction relative to said housing means and to disengage said shield-engaging means when said shield means is rotated in a second direction and said shield means is arranged to be secured to said housing means when said shield means is applied to said housing means and rotated in said second direction and said shield means is arranged to be unsecured from said housing means when said shield means is rotated in said first direction.

6. The device according to claim 1, in which said skin-puncturing second end of said blade means is comprised of a solid material with a sharp end.

3. A shielded lancet for a conventional lancet driving device having a lancet holder, a housing and a reciprocating mechanism for momentarily extending and then retracting said lancet holder and a lancet relative to said housing, said shielded lancet comprising:

a) an elongate blade means for skin puncturing, said blade means having a first end, an intermediate portion and a sharp, skin-puncturing second end, said first end having a radially asymmetrical shape and said intermediate portion having at least one laterally extending shield-engaging means; and

b) shield means for covering said second end of said blade means when said blade is retracted, said shield means provided with housing securing means adapted to be removably attached to said housing, said shield means further including blade-engaging means for removably engaging said shield-engaging means;

c) said blade means being securely engaged by said shield means with said sharp, second end held within said shield means by interaction of said shield engaging means with said blade engaging means in a first operating condition for safe handling and disposal of said blade means and said shield means in combination when said shield means is not attached to said housing; and

d) said blade means being disengaged from said shield means to permit translatory motion of said blade means relative to said shield means in a a second operating condition when said shield means is secured to said housing by said housing securing means.

4. The shielded lancet according to claim 3, in which said blade-engaging means is arranged to engage said shield-engaging means when said shield means is rotated in a first direction relative to said blade means and to disengage said shield-engaging means when said shield means is rotated in a second direction and said shield means is arranged to be secured to a housing when said shield means is applied to said housing and rotated in said second direction and said shield means is arranged to be unsecured from said housing when said shield means is rotated in said first direction.

7. The shielded lancet according to claim 3, in which said sharp, skin-puncturing second end of said blade means is comprised of a solid material with a sharp end.

5. A shielded blade assembly for a conventional power-driven skin lancing device that holds a replaceable blade at the base in a blade driver, that drives the blade in a momentary to and fro rectilinear motion relative to a blade driver housing, advances said blade beyond a shield in a first, forward skin puncturing motion and then in a second, backward motion to a retraced position wherein the point is surrounded on its sides by said shield, said shielded blade assembly comprising:

a) a blade having an elongate shaft with a sharp first end and a base means at a second end, said base means adapted for removably securing said blade to said blade driver;

b) shield means for surrounding at least a portion of said shaft and said first end when said blade is in said retracted position, said shield means including attachment means adapted for removably attaching said shield means to said blade driver housing; and

c) blade engaging means connected to said shield means for securely connecting said blade to said shield means in a first mode of operation in which said blade is in a retracted position and said base means is accessible for securing to said blade driver for use and said base means is removable from said blade driver for discarding by holding the shield means without danger of exposure to said sharp first end during insertion, removal and discarding, said blade engaging means having a second mode of operation in which said blade is disengaged from said shield means and said shield means is attached by said attachment means to said blade driver housing said blade engaging means being operative by manual movement of said shield means to change between first and second modes of operation, said blade being movable in a translatory motion relative to said shield means in said second mode of operation and being non-movable in a translatory motion relative to said shield means in said first mode of operation.

8. The blade assembly according to claim 5, in which said first end of said blade is comprised of a solid material with a sharp end.