Device for perforating skin

• US 6,540,762 B1
• Filed: 01/08/2001
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: November Aktiengesellschaft Gesellschaft Fur Molekulare Medizin
• Original Assignee: November Aktiengesellschaft Gesellschaft Fur Molekulare Medizin
• Inventors: Bertling, Wolf
• Primary Examiner(s): EVANISKO, GEORGE ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US09/743,235
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 606/1, 606/181, 606/182, 606/183, 606/184, 606/185, 600/583
• US Class Current: 606/182
• 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 5/150435 Specific design of proximal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150572 Pierceable protectors, e.g. shields, caps, sleeves or films, e.g. for hygienic purposes
• 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 5/15186 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 5/1519 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for propelling the piercing unit

Abstract

A method for perforating skin including a lancet (1) held in a lancet holder (2) which, by means of a spring-loaded element (9), can be locked in a housing and moved out of the housing. To improve hygiene the invention provides for the lancet holder to be housed in a cup (5), which can be attached to the housing (8), and slidably guided in the cup.

Claims

1. A device for perforation of skin, said device comprising a lancet (1), a lancet carrier (2), a housing (8), an element (9), a cap (5), a biasing spring (12), and a plastic film (7), said lancet (1) being received on said lancet carrier (2), said lancet, by operation of said element (9), being adapted to extend from said housing (8), said element being lockable in the housing (8) under prestress of said biasing spring (12), said lancet carrier (2) being displaceably received in the cap (5), and said cap being capable of being fastened to the housing (8), wherein the lancet carrier (2) includes a piston-like first portion (A1) that serves to guide the lancet carrier in the cap (5), and said cap (5) defines a first orifice (O1) and a second orifice (O2), said first orifice being connected to the housing (8) and the second orifice (02) comprises the plastic film closing said second orifice and through which said lancet passes, said plastic film (7) being injection-molded on in one piece with the cap.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the lancet carrier (2) has a rotationally symmetric design.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the lancet (1) is disposed at one end (E1) of the lancet carrier (2) and a flange-like radially continuous projection (3) is at the other end (E2) of the lancet carrier.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the cap (5) has a second portion (A2) that is cylindrically-shaped and dimensioned to guide the lancet carrier (2) therein.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the cap (5) and the lancet carrier (2) is made from injection-molded plastic.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the cap (5) is adapted to be secured to the housing (8) by one of a bayonet fastening, a locking connection and a thread (6, 6a).

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the cap may be removed from the housing and, when the cap (5) is removed, the element (9) may be pressed, counter to the force of the biasing spring (12), into the housing (8) up to a prestressed first position and automatically interlocked there by locking means.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein said locking means comprises at least one button (17), said at least one button being adapted to release the element from the housing, so that the element (9) can be put into a second position.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein, in the second position, a locking or clamping element (10, 22) provided on the element is interlocked or clamped together with a corresponding counter-locking or counter-clamping element (4, 21) provided at the other end (E2) of the lancet carrier (2), and the lancet (1) passes through the plastic film (7) and projects beyond a circumferential edge of the second orifice (02).

10. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a locking spring (14, 15), said locking spring being injection-molded on the element (9) and serving to lock the element to the housing.

11. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a carrying element (23) that is received in the housing (8), said carrying element (23) serving to displaceably guide the element (9).

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the biasing spring (12) is supported against a bottom (B) of the carrying element (23).

13. The device according to claim 12, further comprising a prolongation (24) extending from the element (9), said prolongation extending through a perforation in said carrying element bottom (B) and engaging said carrying element bottom (B), wherein the perforation has a cross-sectional shape corresponding to a shape of said prolongation, and wherein said prolongation is secured, by operation of a dovetailed locking means (25), against passage through the perforation.

14. The device according to claim 11, further comprising a prolongation (24) extending from the element (9), said prolongation extending through a perforation in said carrying element bottom (B) and engaging said carrying element bottom (B), wherein the perforation has a cross-sectional shape corresponding to a shape of said prolongation, and wherein said prolongation is secured, by operation of a dovetailed locking means (25), against passage through the perforation.

15. The device according to claim 11, wherein the carrying clement (23) extends over a circumferential edge of the housing (8), so that the cap (5) can be slipped onto said carrying element.

16. A device for perforation of skin, said device comprising a lancet (1), a lancet carrier (2), a housing (8), an element (9), a cap (5), a biasing spring (12), and a stop (18) in said cap, said lancet being received on the lancet carrier (2) * and being adapted to extend from the housing (8) by operation of said element (9), said element being lockable in the housing (8) under prestress of said biasing spring (12), said lancet carrier (2) being displaceably received in the cap (5), and said cap being removably attached to the housing (8), wherein the lancet carrier (2) includes a piston-like first portion (A1) that serves to guide the lancet carrier in the cap (5) and, wherein, when the cap is removed from the housing (8) with lancet (1) extended, the element (9) is configured to retract the lancet carrier (2) up to the stop (18).

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the element (9) is made from injection-molded plastic.