Skin pricker

• US 6,299,626 B1
• Filed: 01/26/2000
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paul Viranyi
• Original Assignee: Paul Viranyi
• Inventors: Viranyi, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Thaler, Michael H.
• Application Number:
  US09/445,138
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 606/181, 606/182, 606/183, 606/184, 606/185, 606/189, 600/583
• US Class Current: 606/182
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150259 Improved gripping, e.g. with high friction pattern or projections on the housing surface or an ergonometric shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150427 Specific tip design, e.g. for improved penetration characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150435 Specific design of proximal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150458 Specific blade design, e.g. for improved cutting and penetration characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150648 fully automatically triggered, i.e. the triggering of the protective sleeve does not require a deliberate action by the user such as terminating the contact with the patient's skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150717 manually removed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150786 Optical identification systems, e.g. bar codes, colour codes
• 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 5/15144 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for retracting the piercing unit into the housing

Abstract

A skin pricker is disclosed which comprises a casing (100) and a plunger (132) which fit together telescopically. To trigger the skin pricker, the plunger'"'"'s head (134) is placed against the skin to be pricked and the casing (100) pressed towards it. A lancet blade (114) is mounted on an element (112) which is integral with a spring (118). The spring is sinusoidal and includes stops (126, 128, 130) for limiting movement of the “waves” of the spring towards one another. Cams (116) carried by the element (112) co-operate with the end surfaces of plates (138) forming part of the plunger so that during initial movement of the casing, the plunger and element move as a unit. When the stops (126, 128, 130) prevent further movement of the element, the cams urge the plates apart and then enter slots (140) in the plates (138). The spring then forces the blade (114) in a forward skin pricking movement. The cams (116) in the plates (138) and can move freely along the slots. Thus the plunger (132), even if pushed back into the casing (100), cannot recompress the spring (110).

Claims

1. A skin pricker comprising:

a casing having an open end;

a plunger which protrudes from said open end of the casing and which is free to slide into said casing when the plunger is placed against the skin area to be pricked and the casing is pushed towards said skin area;

a skin pricking lancet blade within said casing;

a spring for displacing said lancet blade in a skin pricking stroke and having a relaxed condition and a condition in which energy is stored therein;

disconnectable means interconnecting said plunger and said lancet blade so that the blade moves with the plunger as the plunger slides into the casing, such motion of the lancet blade with the plunger storing energy in the spring;

stop means for interrupting movement of said lancet blade with the plunger before the plunger has reached the end of its travel with respect to the casing, firther movement of the plunger with respect to the lancet blade disconnecting said blade from the plunger so that the energy stored in the spring urges said blade in a skin pricking stroke with respect to the plunger and casing.

2. A skin pricker as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spring is of sinusoidal form and includes a series of waves, the spring including stops for limiting closing-up of the waves, said stops constituting said stop means.

3. A skin pricker as claimed in claim 2, wherein said spring includes a series of thinner curved portions joined by thicker generally straight portions.

4. A skin pricker as claimed in claim 1, wherein said blade has two points for pricking the skin at two adjacent locations.

5. A skin pricker as claimed in claim 1, wherein said blade is secured to an element which includes at least one shear pin which initially is contacted by a surface of the plunger so that the plunger and element form a unit and the casing moves relatively to this unit, said pin being sheared of by said surface when said stop means becomes effective to limit further movement of said element with respect to the casing thereby to permit the spring to exert itself and urge said blade and element in said forward stroke.

6. A skin pricker as claimed in claim 1, wherein said blade is secured to an element which includes at least one cam which is initially contacted by a surface of the plunger, and is displaced by that surface, so that the plunger and element form a unit and the casing moves relatively to this unit, said surface being on a plate which is resiliently flexible, said cam temporarily camming said plate to a deflected position upon said stop means becoming effective to limit further movement of said element with respect to the casing so that said cam disengages from said surface and the element and blade are free from restraint by the plunger thereby to permit the spring to exert itself and urge said blade and element in said forward stroke.

7. A skin pricker as claimed in claim 1, wherein said blade is secured to an element which includes at least one cam which is initially contacted by a surface of the plunger, and is displaced by that surface, so that the plunger and element form a unit and the casing moves relatively to this unit, said surface being on a plate which is resiliently flexible, said cam temporarily camming said plate to a deflected position upon said stop means becoming effective to limit further movement of said element with respect to the casing so that said cam disengages from said surface and the element and blade are free from restraint by the plunger thereby to permit the spring to exert itself and urge said blade and element in said forward stroke, said plate having an elongate slot in it which said cam enters and can thereafter move along after camming said plate to its deflected position and disengaging from said surface.

8. A skin pricker as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plunger fits telescopically into an open end of said casing, there being interengaging elongate grooves and latches for preventing said plunger being removed from the casing after insertion whilst permitting relative telescopic movement.

9. A skin pricker as claimed in claim 1, wherein said blade is secured to an element which includes at least one cam which is initially contacted by a surface of the plunger, and is displaced by that surface, so that the plunger and element form a unit and the casing moves relatively to this unit, said surface being on a plate which is resiliently flexible, said cam temporarily camming said plate to a deflected position upon said stop means becoming effective to limit further movement of said element with respect to the casing so that said cam disengages from said surface and the element and blade are free from restraint by the plunger thereby to permit the spring to exert itself and urge said blade and element in said forward stroke, said plunger including a head and a parallel spaced pair of said plates protruding from a rear face thereof, said head having an opening in it through which said blade projects during said forward stroke.