Single use, bi-directional linear motion lancet

• US 5,733,300 A
• Filed: 01/28/1997
• Issued: 03/31/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Array Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Array Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Pambianchi, Michael S., Grube, Dominick F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRUONG, KEVIN THAO
• Application Number:
  US08/789,568
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 606/181, 606/182, 606/185, 606/189, 606/184
• US Class Current: 606/181
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150465 Specific design of proximal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15111 Semi-automatically triggered, e.g. at the end of the cocking procedure, for instance by biasing the main drive spring or when reaching sufficient contact pressure, the piercing device is automatically triggered without any deliberate action by the user
• 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 5/15128 comprising 2D- or 3D-shaped elements, e.g. cams, curved guide rails or threads comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15142 Devices intended for single use, i.e. disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15194 fully automatically retracted, i.e. the retraction does not require a deliberate action by the user, e.g. by terminating the contact with the patient's skin

Abstract

A skin piercing device which converts a longitudinal linear motion of a blade within the housing of the device into a vertical linear motion which, in consequence of the placement of biasing member, restraints and stops in the device, results in the ejection of the blade out of the housing and into the patient'"'"'s skin and back again into the housing in a rapid "in-out" fashion. The dimensions of the restraints and stop s are individually controllable and, as a result, it is possible to achieve a length of cut which is independent of the depth of cut.

Claims

1. A disposable lancet skin piercing device comprising:

a) a housing having an internal channel and an opening in said housing adapted to be placed on skin to be pierced,

b) a blade-holding assembly disposed within said channel and carrying a blade having a pointed end and a slicing edge at said end for piercing and slicing skin and an end opposite thereto, said blade and said assembly being movable longitudinally in said channel from a cocked first retracted position to and through an extended piercing position, and then to a second retracted position wherein the second retracted position is downstream of the piercing position, said blade disposed generally in a direction perpendicular to said skin to be pierced,

c) biasing means in contact with said blade-holding assembly and disposed to move said assembly in a longitudinal direction through said channel from said first cocked retracted position into said extended piercing position and into said second retracted position,

d) stop means associated with said housing, and

e) ejection means and retraction means associated with said blade and with said holding assembly,

whereby when said holding assembly is moved upon its longitudinal pathway said stop means cooperate with said ejection means and retraction means to convert the longitudinal movement of the blade into transverse movement of said blade out of said housing and into skin piercing position, followed by retraction of said blade back into said housing.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the blade is held in a holding assembly comprising a resilient means capable of being compressed upon exertion of pressure thereon and of returning to substantially its original position when said pressure is released.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said slicing edge is oriented in a slicing configuration relative to said skin and said ejection means comprises an angled leading edge head angled in the direction of longitudinal movement and located at the end opposite said blade point.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the housing comprises a first elongated slot to accommodate at least a portion of said angled leading edge head when said device is in a cocked first retracted state, a second elongated slot downstream of said first slot and colinear therewith to accommodate at least a portion of said head in a second retracted state and as stop means a wall between said first and said second slots and colinear therewith, said wall being engageable with the angled leading edge of said head to induce a transverse component of motion to said blade when said head of said blade moves longitudinally and encounters said wall.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein opening in said housing is opposite to and in registration with said wall to accommodate the blade point when said head encounters said wall and moves transversely.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said blade opening slot is greater in length in the longitudinal direction than the length of said wall in the same direction.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the biasing means is spring activated.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the spring biasing means is located upstream of the direction of longitudinal movement of said blade-holding assembly and said spring is in its energy storing state when the assembly is in the cocked first retracted state.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said resilient means of said holding assembly is an elastomeric material.

10. The device of claim 2 wherein said ejection means comprises a cam follower surface on the blade at the end opposite said blade point said surface having a leading edge in the direction of longitudinal movement of said holding assembly from its first retracted position.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the housing comprises a first recessed surface to accommodate said cam follower head when said device is in a cocked first retracted state, a second recessed surface downstream of said first recessed surface and colinear therewith to accommodate said cam follower head in a second retracted state and as stop means a protrusion between said first and said second recessed surfaces and colinear therewith, said protrusion being engageable with the cam follower head to induce a transverse component of motion to said blade when said cam follower head of said blade moves longitudinally and engages the recessed surfaces and protrusion.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the protrusion has a surface angled in the direction of longitudinal movement of said assembly when said device is activated.

13. The device of claim 11 wherein said cam follower surface is angled in the direction of longitudinal movement upon activation.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the protrusion has a surface angled in the direction of longitudinal movement of said assembly when said device is activated such that both the protrusion surface and the cam follower surface are generally parallel and contact each other when said device is activated.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein said opening in said housing is greater in length in the longitudinal direction than the length of said protrusion in the same direction.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the biasing means is spring activated.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the spring biasing means is located upstream of the direction of longitudinal movement of said blade-holding assembly and said spring is its energy storing state when the assembly is in the cocked first retracted state.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein said resilient means of said holding assembly is a plastic material.