Alternate-site lancer

• US 6,491,709 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2000
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Sharma, Ashutosh, Strowe, Robert J., West, Robert E., Sharifi-Mehr, Amir A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirsch, Paul J.
• Application Number:
  US09/745,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20020082521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 600/576, 606/181, 606/183, 604/164.06
• US Class Current: 606/181
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150068 by tissue compression, e.g. with specially designed surface of device contacting the skin area to be pierced
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150427 Specific tip design, e.g. for improved penetration characteristics
• 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 5/150717 manually removed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150824 by visual feedback
• 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 5/1513 comprising linear sliding guides comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1519 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for propelling the piercing unit
• 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 new tip for a conventional lancer that provides for improved blood flow from a lancet puncture site not located on a patient'"'"'s finger. The new lancer tip includes a plurality of crenellations that exert rotational force on the skin surrounding the lancet puncture site when the lancer is rotated to enhance blood flow from the lancet puncture site.

Claims

1. An apparatus attachable to a lancer, said apparatus comprising an alternate site tip having a distal surface with an orifice surrounded by a plurality of crenellations extending in a distal direction,

wherein said crenellations exert force on a skin surrounding a lancet puncture site such that when said alternate site tip is rotated blood will freely flow from the lancet puncture site, and

wherein each of said plurality of crenellations include a pair of angled ramp surfaces.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pair of angled ramp surfaces are separated by a curved portion.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said alternate site tip is transparent.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said alternate site tip includes a measuring indicia that is used to determine whether a sufficient amount of blood has been extracted.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a lancet having a chisel point.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said alternate site tip is removable from a lancer and replaceable with a conventional site tip.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a nose portion that is attachable to a lancer for holding said alternate site tip.

8. A method for drawing blood from an alternate site on a patient, said alternate site not being a patient'"'"'s finger, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a lancer with an alternate site tip having a plurality of crenellations extending in a distal direction;

positioning the lancer over an intended lancet puncture site such that the crenellations on the alternate site tip exert force on skin surrounding the lancet puncture site;

activating the lancer to drive the lancet into the lancet puncture site; and

rotating the lancer to rotate the crenellations of the alternate site tip and thereby enhance blood flow from the lancet puncture site.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of providing each crenellation with a pair of angled ramp surfaces.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising the step of providing for each pair of angled ramp surfaces to be separated by a curved portion.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of determining whether a sufficient amount of blood has been extracted using a measuring indicia on the alternate site tip.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of removing the alternate sit tip from the lancer and mounting a conventional site tip on the lancer.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of providing a lancet having a chisel point.