Cutting device for skin for obtaining small blood samples in almost pain-free manner

• US 6,210,421 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1999
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roche Diagnostics GmbH (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics GmbH (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Bocker, Dirk, Fruhstorfer, Heinrich
• Primary Examiner(s): TRUONG, KEVIN THAO
• Application Number:
  US09/417,480
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 606/181, 606/182, 606/184, 606/185, 606/178
• US Class Current: 606/182
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150137 by vibration enhancing collection by vibration A61B5/150175
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15019 Depth adjustment mechanism using movable stops located inside the piercing device housing and limiting the travel of the drive mechanism mechanisms using distal end caps A61B5/150183, mechanisms at the piercing element carrier proximal end A61B5/150198
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150458 Specific blade design, e.g. for improved cutting and penetration characteristics
• 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 5/15121 comprising piezos
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15132 comprising tooth-shaped elements, e.g. toothed wheel or rack and pinion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15188 Constructional features of reusable driving devices

Abstract

Cutting device for skin for obtaining small blood samples from human or animal tissue in an almost pain-free manner. A blade (13) is made to oscillate by an oscillator (14, 32) and is lowered into the tissue and again retracted at a relatively slow speed. In a first embodiment, the blade oscillates essentially parallel to the cutting edge of the blade and the tissue surface. In a second embodiment, the blade oscillates essentially perpendicular to the tissue surface. An advantage of the device of the invention is the reduced pain during pricking.

Claims

1. A device for obtaining small blood samples from humans or animals in an almost pain-free manner, the device comprising

a blade with a pointed cutting edge;

and

an oscillator in operable relationship to the blade to make the blade oscillate essentially perpendicularly to a tissue surface at a frequency between 10 Hz and 10 kHz.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the blade is a needle.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein an amplitude of the blade'"'"'s oscillation is below 300 μ

m.

4. The device according to claim 1, further comprising moving means for moving the blade essentially perpendicularly to the tissue surface and controlling said movement such that upon arriving at a defined point forward movement is converted into retracting movement.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising moving means for moving the blade essentially perpendicularly to the tissue surface and guide means for controlling movement of the blade into and out of the tissue such that a path described by the blade when moving into the tissue is substantially the same as a path described by the blade when moving out of the tissue.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the blade is mounted to a spring-loaded element such that the blade is moved essentially perpendicularly to the cutting edge when spring tension is released.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein a blade speed generated by the movement of the spring-loaded element is less than 1 km/h.

8. The device according to claim 6, wherein the blade has several pointed cutting edges.

9. A method of cutting skin for obtaining small blood samples in an almost pain-free manner, the method comprising the following steps:

oscillating a blade with a pointed tip essentially perpendicular to a skin surface at an oscillating frequency of more than 10 Hz;

moving the oscillating blade toward the skin to be cut open;

lowering the oscillating blade into the skin;

and retracting the blade from the skin.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the oscillating blade is lowered into the skin at a speed of less than 1 km/h.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of lowering the oscillating blade into the skin further comprises lowering the oscillating blade below the skin surface to a depth of less than 2500 μ

m.

12. A device for almost painlessly cutting human or animal skin to obtain a blood sample, the device comprising:

a blade having a cutting edge less than 10 mm in width;

oscillation means for oscillating the blade at a frequency above 10 Hz,

movement means for moving the blade into and out of the skin at a speed less than 2 km/hr; and

depth setting means for limiting a depth to which the movement means move the blade into the tissue to a depth of under 2500 μ

m.