Lancet device

• US 5,366,470 A
• Filed: 09/13/1993
• Issued: 11/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Urs A. Ramel
• Original Assignee: ActiMed Laboratories, Inc.
• Inventors: Ramel, Urs A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thaler, Michael H.
• Application Number:
  US08/121,035
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 606/182, 606/183, 606/185, 606/186, 604/137, 604/157, 128/770
• US Class Current: 606/183
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150427 Specific tip design, e.g. for improved penetration characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15109 Fully automatically triggered, i.e. the triggering does not require a deliberate action by the user, e.g. by contact with the patient's skin
• 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

Abstract

A lancet device includes a body within which is slidably located a trigger and fixedly located a base. The base contains, in an armed position, the lance with its needle and a spring affixed to the lance. The trigger includes a mechanism to release the lance during use.

In a preferred embodiment, the lancet device of the present invention is self-activated by the finger (or other body part) to be pierced. Depression of the trigger with the finger releases the lance and the spring so that the needle protrudes through an orifice in the end of the trigger and pierces the tissue. Because the spring is held in a pre-armed position, release of the spring is consistent, and reproducibility of incision is well controlled.

Claims

1. A lancet device, comprising:

a lance, including a needle of a specific length and a shaft with one or more arms;

a spring, one end of which is fixedly attached to said shaft of said lance;

a trigger, including a barrel with an outer surface, one or more slots and a hollow center to slidably accept said lance, an end having a specific wall thickness and an orifice, an end distal from said orifice-containing end to engage said arms of said lance to compress said spring, and one or more pins on said outer surface;

a body, including a barrel, a hollow center to slidably accept said trigger, a base with a well wherein said lance and spring are located in a compressed armed position prior to use, one or more angled slots in said barrel for engaging said pins of said trigger, and an end distal from said base being in about the same plane as the face of said orifice-containing end of said trigger when said pins of said trigger are engaged in said slots of said body;

means for fixedly attaching the other end of said spring to said base;

one or more slots in said base to slidably accept said arms of said lance;

said distal end of said trigger retaining said lance and spring in said compressed armed position in said well when said pins in said trigger are engaged in the top of said angled slots of said body; and

said angled slots of said body guiding said pins of said trigger to rotate said trigger when said trigger is depressed so that said slots of said trigger align with said slots of said base and said arms of said lance to release said lance and spring to allow said needle to protrude through said orifice to pierce human or other animal tissue.

2. A lancet device, comprising:

a lance, including a needle and a shaft;

a base, including a well wherein said lance is located, said well having a bottom;

a spring, located in said well between said shaft of said lance and said bottom of said well;

a trigger, including a barrel to slidably accept said lance, means for retaining said lance and spring in a compressed armed position prior to use, and an end with an orifice to allow said needle to protrude through said orifice when said lance and spring are released from said armed position to pierce human or other animal tissue;

means for controlling the depth of penetration of said needle into said tissue;

a body, including a barrel to slidably accept said trigger and fixedly accept said base, an open end distal from said base, said open end being in about the same plane as the face of said orifice-containing end of said trigger when said trigger inserted into said body, and means for retaining said trigger in said barrel;

means for fixedly attaching said base to said body;

means for aligning said orifice-containing end of said trigger in about the same plane as said open end of said body;

means for centering and guiding said trigger rotatably in said body about the central longitudinal axis of said body, and axially in said body along the central longitudinal axis of said body and towards said base, said central longitudinal axis of said body identical to said central longitudinal axis of said trigger; and

said trigger further including rotational means for rotating said means for centering and guiding said trigger about its central longitudinal axis of rotatably release said lance and spring from said armed position when said trigger is moved axially along its central longitudinal axis towards said base.

3. A lancet device, comprising:

a lance, including a needle and a shaft with one or more arms;

a base, including a well wherein said lance is located, said well having a bottom;

a spring, located in said well between said shaft of said lance and said bottom of said well;

means for retaining said lance and spring in a compressed armed position prior to use;

a trigger, including a barrel with an outer surface, one or more longitudinal slots and a hollow center to slidably accept said lance, an end having an orifice, and one or more pins on said outer surface;

a body, including a barrel to slidably accept said trigger and fixedly accept said base, one or more angled slots in said barrel for engaging said one or more pins on said outer surface of said trigger, and an end distal from said base being in about the same plane as the face of said orifice-containing end of said trigger when said one or more pins of said trigger are engaged in said one or more angled slots of said body; and

said one or more angled slots of said body guiding said one or more pins of said trigger to rotate said trigger about the central longitudinal axis of said body when said trigger is depressed so that one or more longitudinal slots of said trigger align with said one or more arms of said lance, releasing said lance and spring to allow said needle to protrude through said orifice to pierce human or other animal tissue.

4. A lancet device, comprising;

a lance, including a needle and a shaft;

a spring, one end of which is fixedly attached to said shaft of said lance;

a base, including a well wherein said lance and spring are located;

means for fixedly attaching the other end of said spring to said base;

a trigger, including a barrel to slidably accept said lance, means for retaining said lance and spring in a compressed armed position prior to use, and an end with an orifice to allow said needle to protrude through said orifice when said lance and spring are released from said armed position to pierce human or other animal tissue;

means for controlling the depth of penetration of said needle into said tissue;

a body, including a barrel having an outer surface and a hollow center to slidably accept said trigger and fixedly accept said base, an open end distal from said base, said open end being in about the same plane as the face of said orifice-containing end of said trigger when said trigger is inserted into said body, and means for retaining said trigger in said barrel;

means for fixedly attaching said base to said body;

means for aligning said orifice-containing end of said trigger in about the same plane as said open end of said body;

means for centering and guiding said trigger rotatably in said body about the central longitudinal axis of said body, and axing in said body along the central longitudinal axis of said body and towards said base, said central longitudinal axis of said body identical to said central longitudinal axis of said trigger; and

said means for centering and guiding said trigger further including rotational means for rotating said trigger about its central longitudinal axis to rotatably release said lance and spring from said armed position when said trigger is moved axially long its central longitudinal axis towards said base.

5. A device as in claim 4 wherein said lance includes a plurality of needles.

6. A device as in claim 4 wherein said means for retaining said lance and said spring in a compressed armed position prior to use comprises one or more pins on said trigger which engage one or more angled slots in said outer surface of said barrel of said body.

7. A device as in claim 4 wherein said means for controlling comprises said orifice-containing end of said trigger having a specific wall thickness and said needle having a specific length.

8. A device as in claim 7 wherein said trigger is adapted to be depressed by a human or animal body part to be pierced by said needle.

9. A device as in claim 4 wherein said rotational means for rotating said trigger about its central longitudinal axis to rotatably release said lance and spring comprises one or more pins on said trigger which engage one or more angled slots in said outer surface of said barrel of said body.

10. A device as in claim 8 wherein said one or more angled slots are at an angle between 10°

and 80°

relative to the central longitudinal axis of said body.

11. A device as in claim 4 wherein said means for attaching said base comprises molding said base and said body as a single piece.

12. A device as in claim 4 wherein said means for aligning said trigger comprises one or more pins on said trigger engaged with one or more angled slots in said outer surface of said barrel of said body.

13. A device as in claim 4 wherein said base, trigger and body are made of polystyrene.

14. A device as in claim 4 wherein said base, trigger and body are injection molded.

15. A lancet device, comprising:

a lance, including a needle and a shaft;

a spring, one end of which is fixedly attached to said shaft of said lance;

a base, including a well wherein said lance and spring are located;

means for fixedly attaching the other end of said spring to said base;

a trigger, including a barrel to slidably accept said lance, means for retaining said lance and spring in a compressed armed position prior to use, an end with an orifice to allow said needle to protrude through said orifice when said lance and spring are released from said armed position to pierce human or other animal tissue, and rotational means for rotating said trigger about its central longitudinal axis to rotatably release said lance and said spring from said armed position during use;

means for controlling the depth of penetration of said needle into said tissue;

a body, including a barrel having an outer surface and a hollow center to slidably accept said trigger and fixedly accept said base, an open end distal from said base, said open end being in about the same plane as the face of said orifice-containing end of said trigger when said trigger is inserted into said body, and means for retaining said trigger in said barrel;

means for fixedly attaching said base to said body;

said rotational means for rotating said trigger about its central longitudinal axis to rotatably release said lance and spring comprising one or more pins on said trigger which engage one or more angled slots in said outer surface of said barrel of said body, said one or more angled slots at an angle between 10° and

80°

relative to the central longitudinal axis of said body, said central longitudinal axis of said body identical to said central longitudinal axis of said trigger;

means for aligning said orifice-containing end of said trigger in about the same plane as said open end of said body; and

means for centering and guiding said trigger rotatably in said body about the central longitudinal axis of said body.