Slicing disposable blood sampling device
First Claim
1. A disposable device for slicing a precise incision of predetermined length and depth in the skin of a patient comprising:
- a hollow housing having a top surface with an opening, a front surface, a rear surface, and a bottom surface with an elongated slot adapted to contact the skin of the patient;
a trigger slidably disposed in said opening in said top surface of said housing;
a single spring for said device mounted in said housing in a relaxed, unstressed, and unbiased condition when said device is not actuated and extended by said trigger when said device is actuated, said spring having a first end and a second end;
a cutting blade coupled to said second end of said spring and extending through said elongated slot in said bottom surface of said housing to slice the skin of the patient when said device is actuated; and
a plurality of discrete constraint and restraint elements positioned in said housing forming an open guide surface directing said spring, and said blade coupled to said spring, to slice rather than puncture along a predetermined incision path.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A disposable blood sampling device for slicing a precise incision of predetermined length and depth in the skin of a patient. The device includes a hollow housing having a top surface with an opening, a front surface, a rear surface, and a bottom surface with an elongated slot adapted to contact the skin of the patient. A trigger is slidably disposed in the opening in the top surface of the housing. A single spring, only, is mounted in the housing in a relaxed, unstressed, and unbiased condition when the device is not actuated. The spring is extended by the trigger when the device is actuated. A cutting blade is coupled to one end of the spring and extends through the elongated slot in the bottom surface of the housing to incise the skin of the patient when the device is actuated. Finally, the device includes a plurality of discrete constraint and restraint elements, positioned in the housing, which collectively form an open guide surface directing the spring, and the blade coupled to the spring, along a predetermined incision path.
-
Citations
40 Claims
-
1. A disposable device for slicing a precise incision of predetermined length and depth in the skin of a patient comprising:
-
a hollow housing having a top surface with an opening, a front surface, a rear surface, and a bottom surface with an elongated slot adapted to contact the skin of the patient; a trigger slidably disposed in said opening in said top surface of said housing; a single spring for said device mounted in said housing in a relaxed, unstressed, and unbiased condition when said device is not actuated and extended by said trigger when said device is actuated, said spring having a first end and a second end; a cutting blade coupled to said second end of said spring and extending through said elongated slot in said bottom surface of said housing to slice the skin of the patient when said device is actuated; and a plurality of discrete constraint and restraint elements positioned in said housing forming an open guide surface directing said spring, and said blade coupled to said spring, to slice rather than puncture along a predetermined incision path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A disposable device for slicing a precise incision of predetermined length and depth in the skin of a patient comprising:
-
a hollow housing having a top surface with an opening, a front surface, a rear surface, a bottom surface with an elongated slot adapted to contact the skin of the patient, and a plurality of spring anchor posts; a single, substantially "S"-shaped spring mounted in said housing in a relaxed, unstressed, and unbiased condition when said device is not actuated, said spring having (a) a first end, (b) an anchor lug integrally formed on said first end of said spring, said anchor lug fixed by said spring anchor posts of said housing and mounting said spring in said housing, (c) a second end, (d) a first loop extending from said first end, (e) an oppositely directed second loop extending from said first loop, (f) a tail extending from said second loop and terminating in said second end, and an elbow disposed between said second loop and said tail; a substantially "U"-shaped trigger slidably disposed in said opening in said top surface of said housing and having a head upon which actuation force is applied, a longer leg with a left actuator engaging said second loop of said spring and transferring actuation force from said trigger to extend said spring, and a shorter leg having a right actuator engaging said elbow of said spring and transferring actuation force from said trigger to extend said spring; a cutting blade coupled to said second end of said spring and extending through said elongated slot in said bottom surface of said housing to incise the skin of the patient when said device is actuated; and a plurality of discrete constraint and restraint elements positioned in said housing forming an open guide surface directing said spring, and said blade coupled to said spring, along a predetermined incision path. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
-
-
40. A disposable device for slicing a precise incision of predetermined length and depth in the skin of a patient comprising:
-
a hollow housing having a top surface with an opening, a front surface having a thumb indentation facilitating handling of said device, a rear surface having at least one finger indentation facilitating handling of said device, a bottom surface with an elongated slot adapted to contact the skin of the patient, and a viewport permitting observation of the skin of the patient where the incision will be made; a trigger slidably disposed in said opening in said top surface of said housing and having a flexible leg with a left actuator, a first rib, and a second rib; a single, resilient, plastic spring mounted in said housing in a relaxed, unstressed, and unbiased condition when said device is not actuated and extended by said trigger when said device is actuated, said spring having a first end and a second end; a cutting blade coupled to said second end of said spring and extending through said elongated slot in said bottom surface of said housing to incise the skin of the patient when said device is actuated; a stop post positioned in said hollow housing; a stop positioned on said blade and contacting said stop post to limit horizontal motion of said blade; a spring restraint positioned in said hollow housing forming a channel between said spring restraint and said bottom surface of said housing, said spring restraint directing the vertical motion of said blade and said channel directing the horizontal motion of said blade; a spring restraint follower located on said second end of said spring and opposite said blade and traversing along said spring restraint and through said channel; at least one trigger stop post positioned in said hollow housing, said trigger contacting said at least one trigger stop post and lying flush with said top surface of said housing when said trigger is fully depressed in said opening in said top surface of said housing and said device is fully actuated; a keeper positioned in said hollow housing preventing removal of said trigger from said opening in said top surface of said housing after actuation of said device; a pair of walls positioned in said hollow housing restricting said trigger to a vertical travel path through said opening in said top surface of said housing; a detent post positioned in said hollow housing, said first rib of said flexible leg of said trigger resting on top of said detent post before actuation of said device and precluding downward motion of said trigger until a predetermined actuation force is applied to said trigger and said first rib slides around said detent post thereby actuating said device, said second rib of said flexible leg of said trigger lying underneath said detent post and said left actuator of said flexible leg of said trigger lying underneath said keeper with said second rib abutting said detent post and said left actuator abutting said keeper when said trigger is pulled upward.
-
Specification