Lancet depth adjustment assembly

• US 6,322,575 B1
• Filed: 01/05/2000
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steven Schraga
• Original Assignee: Steven Schraga
• Inventors: Schraga, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor, Cary E.
• Application Number:
  US09/477,950
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 606/167, 606/181-189, D24/147
• US Class Current: 606/181
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/033 Abutting means, stops, e.g. abutting on tissue or skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150183 Depth adjustment mechanism using end caps mounted at the distal end of the sampling device, i.e. the end-caps are adjustably positioned relative to the piercing device housing for example by rotating or screwing
• 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 5/150503 Single-ended needles hollow piercing element tip design A61B5/150396, needle sets for catheters A61M25/06, needles for bringing media into the body A61M5/32
• 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 5/15186 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

Abstract

A lancet depth adjustment assembly structured to be used use with a lancet device of the type including a lancet disposed movably within a housing so as to pass into a piercing orientation wherein a piercing tip of the lancet protrudes from a piercing aperture defined in the housing. The lancet depth adjustment assembly includes a depth adjustment element movably secured in overlying relation to the piercing aperture of the housing and having a piercing access structured to permit passage of the piercing tip of the lancet therethrough. The depth adjustment element is structured to be interposed between a finger of a patient and the piercing aperture so as to define a spacing therebetween, and accordingly define a depth to which the piercing tip, which protrudes a defined amount from the housing, penetrates the body part. Furthermore, the depth adjustment element is constructed of a varying thickness so as to vary the spacing between the body part and the piercing aperture in accordance with a thickness of a portion of the depth adjustment element disposed in overlying relation to the piercing aperture at a time of operation of the lancet device.

Claims

1. An improvement for a lancet device including a lancet disposed within a housing and structured to move into a piercing orientation wherein a piercing tip of the lancet protrudes from a piercing aperture defined in the housing, said improvement comprising:

a lancet depth adjustment assembly;

said lancet depth adjustment assembly further comprising a depth adjustment element, said depth adjustment element secured in at least partially overlying relation to the piercing aperture of the housing;

said depth adjustment element including a piercing access structured to permit passage of the piercing tip of the lancet therethrough;

said depth adjustment element structured and disposed to be at least partially interposed between a finger and the piercing aperture so as to define a spacing between the finger and the piercing aperture, and accordingly a depth to which the piercing tip penetrates the finger; and

said depth adjustment element comprising a varying thickness structured to vary said spacing between the finger and the piercing aperture in accordance with a thickness of a portion of said depth adjustment element disposed in overlying relation to the piercing aperture.

2. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said depth adjustment element is structured to define a plurality of different spacings between the finger and the piercing aperture.

3. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said depth adjustment element is movably secured to the housing and is structured to vary said portion of said depth adjustment element which generally overlies the piercing aperture.

4. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 3 further comprising a guide assembly coupled to the housing and structured to movably retain and position said depth adjustment element therein.

5. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein said depth adjustment element includes indicia disposed thereon to indicate the depth to which the piercing tip penetrates the finger in accordance with said portion of said depth adjustment element which generally overlies the piercing aperture.

6. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said depth adjustment element includes an at least partially tapered configuration and is movably secured over the piercing aperture so as to vary said spacing between the finger and the piercing aperture in response to said portion of said depth adjustment element disposed in overlying relation to the piercing aperture.

7. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said depth adjustment element includes an at least partially rounded configuration structured to receive the finger generally seated therein so as to maintain said spacing between the finger and the piercing aperture.

8. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said depth adjustment element includes an at least partially wedge shaped configuration structured to selectively maintain said spacing between the finger and the piercing aperture.

9. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said depth adjustment element includes an exterior surface and an interior surface, said interior surface structured to generally confront the housing and said exterior surface structured to engage the finger.

10. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 9 wherein said depth adjustment element is movably secured to the housing so as to vary a portion of said exterior surface disposed generally at the piercing aperture.

11. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein different portions of said exterior surface are differently spaced from the piercing aperture when disposed in overlying relation to the piercing aperture so as to correspondingly vary said spacing between the finger and the piercing aperture.

12. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein said exterior surface is variably spaced from said interior surface so as to correspondingly vary said spacing between the finger and the piercing aperture in accordance with said portion of said exterior surface disposed generally at the piercing aperture.

13. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 12 wherein said depth adjustment element includes an at least partially rounded configuration structured to receive the finger generally seated therein so as to maintain said spacing between the finger and the piercing aperture.

14. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said piercing access includes an elongate channel extending at least partially along a length of said depth adjustment element so as to permit the passage of the piercing tip therethrough when said depth adjustment element is disposed in overlying relation to the piercing aperture.

15. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said depth adjustment element includes an exterior surface structured to engage the finger, said exterior surface structured to be variably spaced from the piercing aperture so as to correspondingly vary said spacing between the finger and the piercing aperture.

16. An improvement for a lancet device including a lancet disposed within a housing and structured to move into a piercing orientation wherein a piercing tip of the lancet protrudes from a piercing aperture defined in the housing, said improvement comprising:

a lancet depth adjustment assembly;

said lancet depth adjustment assembly further comprising a depth adjustment element, said depth adjustment element movably secured in at least partially overlying relation to the piercing aperture of the housing;

said depth adjustment element including a piercing access structured to permit passage of the piercing tip of the lancet therethrough;

said depth adjustment element structured and disposed to be at least partially interposed between a body part of a patient and the piercing aperture so as to define a spacing between the body part and the piercing aperture, and accordingly a depth to which the piercing tip penetrates the body part; and

said depth adjustment element including a varying thickness structured to vary said spacing between the body part and the piercing aperture in accordance with a thickness of a portion of said depth adjustment element disposed in overlying relation to the piercing aperture.

17. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 16 wherein said depth adjustment element includes an exterior surface and an interior surface, said interior surface structured to generally confront the housing and said exterior surface structured to engage the body part.

18. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 17 wherein said depth adjustment element is movably secured to the housing so as to vary a portion of said exterior surface disposed generally at the piercing aperture.

19. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 18 wherein different portions of said exterior surface are differently spaced from the piercing aperture when disposed in overlying relation to the piercing aperture so as to correspondingly vary said spacing between the body part and the piercing aperture.

20. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 18 wherein said exterior surface is variably spaced from said interior surface so as to correspondingly vary said spacing between the body part and the piercing aperture in accordance with said portion of said exterior surface disposed generally at the piercing aperture.

21. A lancet depth adjustment assembly as recited in claim 20 wherein said depth adjustment element includes an at least partially rounded configuration structured to receive the body part generally seated therein so as to maintain said spacing between the body part and the piercing aperture.