Lancet device

• US 5,984,940 A
• Filed: 05/27/1998
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Atrion (Atrion Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Atrion (Atrion Corporation)
• Inventors: Kanner, Rowland W., Davis, Richard M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Vy Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/085,281
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 606/181, 606/182, 606/184
• US Class Current: 606/181
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150198 Depth adjustment mechanism at the proximal end of the carrier of the piercing element
• 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 5/15113 Manually triggered, i.e. the triggering requires a deliberate action by the user such as pressing a drive button
• 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 5/15186 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 5/15194 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 novel lancet device is disclosed, and the lancet device is compact and is designed to be held like a writing instrument during use. The device has a trigger relatively close to a firing end so the device can be easily maintained in the desired position while the device is being fired. A cocking knob on the device is rotated one hundred eighty degrees in order to cock the device and prepare the device for use. Only a relatively small amount of rotational force is needed to rotate the cocking knob. The device provides that a lancing needle does not extend and become exposed when the device is cocked. A thumb button is provided on the device, and the thumb button doubles as a depth adjustment knob and an ejector button. The thumb button can be pressed in order to simultaneously eject a tip platform along with the lancing needle, and can be turned in order to set the depth at which the lancing needle will pierce the fingertip when the device is fired. The thumb button can be pushed or rotated without applying an excessive amount of force.

Claims

1. A lancet device for lancing skin with a lancing needle of a lancet, said lancet device comprising:

a housing;

a lancet holder within said housing engageable with said lancet;

an assembly operatively coupled to said lancet holder, said assembly rotatable and axially moveable within said housing, said assembly having a first end engageable with said lancet when said lancet is engaged with said lancet holder, said assembly having a second end external to said housing, said assembly being configured such that turning said second end of said assembly causes said assembly to rotate within said housing thereby causing said lancet holder to move axially within said housing, said axial movement of said lancet holder in said housing adjusting a lancing depth of said lancing needle, and said assembly being configured such that pressing said second end of said assembly toward said housing causes said assembly to move axially within said housing and engage against said lancet thereby causing said lancet to disengage from said lancet holder.

2. The lancet device as recited in claim 1, further comprising an endpiece having an aperture formed thereon for receiving said lancing needle, wherein said housing has an end configured for engagement with said endpiece, said assembly being configured such that pressing said second end of said assembly toward said housing causes said assembly to move axially within said housing and engage against said lancet thereby causing said lancet to urge from said lancet holder and contact said endpiece when said endpiece is engaged with said end of said housing, said engagement between said endpiece and said end of said housing being such that said contact between lancet and said endpiece causes said endpiece to disengage from said end of said housing.

3. The lancet device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a cocking knob received by said housing, wherein said assembly is threadably engaged with said cocking knob, said threadable engagement providing that turning said second end of said assembly causes said assembly to rotate within said housing thereby causing said lancet holder to move axially within said housing.

4. The lancet device as recited in claim 3, wherein said assembly comprises a depth adjustment screw having a bore;

and an ejector rod extending through said bore in said depth adjustment screw, wherein said depth adjustment screw is threadably engaged with said cocking knob, and wherein said ejector rod and said depth adjustment screw are engaged with each other such that rotating said ejector rod causes said depth adjustment screw to rotate but said ejector rod can move axially within said bore relative to said depth adjustment screw when said second end of said assembly is pressed toward said housing.

5. The lancet device as recited in claim 2, wherein said endpiece includes structure which moves radially inward upon said endpiece being contacted by said lancet thereby providing that said endpiece disengages from said end of said housing.

6. The lancet device as recited in claim 5, said endpiece including flanges and helical slots, said end of said housing including grooves for receiving said flanges on said endpiece, wherein said helical slots of said endpiece allow said flanges of said endpiece to move radially inward and disengage from said grooves on said end of said housing upon said endpiece being contacted by said lancet.

7. The lancet device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a cam in contact with said lancet holder;

cocking structure;

biasing means between said cocking structure and said cam; and

a trigger engageable with said cam for preventing the rotation of said cam during actuation of said cocking structure and preventing movement of said lancet holder along a longitudinal axis of said housing, said actuation of said cocking structure causing said biasing means to become loaded between said cam and said cocking structure wherein said cam rotates upon disengagement of said trigger from said cam, said rotation of said cam causing said lancet holder to move generally along a longitudinal axis of said housing.

8. The lancet device as recited in claim 7, further comprising an endpiece having an aperture formed thereon for receiving said lancing, needle, wherein said housing has an end configured for engagement with said endpiece, and wherein said trigger is closer to said aperture of said endpiece when said endpiece is engaged with said end of said housing than to said second end of said assembly.

9. The lancet device as recited in claim 1, further comprising an endpiece having an aperture formed thereon for receiving said lancing needle, wherein said housing has an end configured for engagement with said endpiece, said second end of said assembly being opposite said aperture formed in said endpiece for receiving said lancing needle.

10. The lancet device as recited in claim 1, further comprising an endpiece having an aperture formed thereon for receiving said lancing needle, wherein said housing has an end configured for engagement with said endpiece, and wherein said endpiece becomes fully engaged with said housing by rotating said endpiece relative to said end of said housing through a generally ninety-degree rotation.

11. The lancet device as recited in claim 7, said cocking structure including a cocking knob received by said housing, wherein said biasing means is loaded by rotating said cocking knob through a generally one-hundred eighty decree rotation.

12. The lancet device as recited in claim 1, wherein an external surface of said housing is generally rectangularly-shaped to facilitate user gripping and to prevent rolling of said lancet device upon said lancet device being placed upon a substantially level surface.

13. A lancet device for lancing skin with a lancing needle of a lancet, said lancet device comprising:

an endpiece having an aperture formed thereon for receiving said lancing needle;

a housing having an end configured for engagement with said endpiece;

a lancet holder engageable with said lancet;

an assembly axially moveable within said housing, said assembly having a first end engageable with said lancet when said lancet is engaged with said lancet holder to disengage said lancet from said lancet holder, said assembly having a second end external to said housing, said assembly being configured such that pressing said second end of said assembly toward said housing causes said assembly to move axially within said housing and engage against said lancet thereby causing said lancet to urge from said lancet holder and contact said endpiece, said engagement between said endpiece and said end of said housing being such that said contact between said lancet and said endpiece causes said endpiece to disengage from said end of said housing, said engagement between said assembly and said lancet being such that said lancet disengages from said lancet holder.

14. The lancet device as recited in claim 13, wherein said assembly is rotatable within said housing and is configured such that turning said second end of said assembly causes said assembly to rotate within said housing thereby causing said lancet holder to move axially within said housing, said axial movement of said lancet holder in said housing adjusting a lancing depth of said lancing needle.

15. The lancet device as recited in claim 14, further comprising a cocking knob received by said housing, wherein said assembly is threadably engaged with said cocking knob, said threadable engagement providing that turning said second end of said assembly causes said assembly to rotate within said housing thereby causing said lancet holder to move axially within said housing.

16. The lancet device as recited in claim 15, wherein said assembly comprises a depth adjustment screw having a bore;

and an ejector rod extending through said bore in said depth adjustment screw, wherein said depth adjustment screw is threadably engaged with said cocking knob, and wherein said ejector rod and said depth adjustment screw are engaged with each other such that rotating said ejector rod causes said depth adjustment screw to rotate but said ejector rod can move axially within said bore relative to said depth adjustment screw when said second end of said assembly is pressed toward said housing.

17. The lancet device as recited in claim 13, wherein said endpiece includes structure which moves radially inward upon said endpiece being contacted by said lancet thereby providing that said endpiece disengages from said end of said housing.

18. The lancet device as recited in claim 17, said endpiece including flanges and helical slots, said end of said housing including grooves for receiving said flanges on said endpiece, wherein said helical slots of said endpiece allow said flanges of said endpiece to move radially inward and disengage from said grooves on said end of said housing upon said endpiece being contacted by said lancet.

19. The lancet device as recited in claim 13, farther comprising a cam in contact with said lancet holder;

cocking structure;

biasing means between said cocking structure and said cam; and

a trigger engageable with said cam for preventing the rotation of said cam during actuation of said cocking structure and preventing movement of said lancet holder along a longitudinal axis of said housing, said actuation of said cocking structure causing said biasing means to become loaded between said cam and said cocking structure wherein said cam rotates upon disengagement of said trigger from said cam, said rotation of said cam causing said lancet holder to move generally along a longitudinal axis of said housing.

20. The lancet device as recited in claim 19, wherein said trigger is closer to said aperture of said endpiece when said endpiece is engaged with said end of said housing than to said second end of said assembly.

21. The lancet device as recited in claim 13, wherein said second end of said assembly is opposite said aperture formed in said endpiece for receiving said lancing needle.

22. The lancet device as recited in claim 13, wherein said endpiece becomes fully engaged with said housing by rotating said endpiece relative to said end of said housing through a generally ninety-degree rotation.

23. The lancet device as recited in claim 19, said cocking structure including a cocking knob received by said housing, wherein said biasing means is loaded by rotating said cocking knob through a generally one-hundred eighty degree rotation.

24. The lancet device as recited in claim 13, wherein an external surface of said housing is generally rectangularly-shaped to facilitate user gripping and to prevent rolling of said lancet device upon said lancet device being placed upon a substantially level surface.