Lancing device with decoupled lancet
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A lancing device for puncturing skin, comprising:
- a lancet movable between a retracted position and an extended position;
a drive member that is forwardly movable to impact the lancet to drive the lancet forward from the retracted position toward the extended position; and
a drive member stop member that stops the forward travel of the drive member before the lancet reaches the extended position,wherein the drive member stop member does not stop the forward travel of the lancet and the lancet decouples from the drive member and continues moving forward under its own momentum toward the extended position after the drive member is stopped by the drive member stop member, wherein the drive member is decoupled from the lancet from before the lancet reaches the extended position at least until the lancet is in the extended position so that the mass of the drive member is not bearing on the lancet when the lancet punctures the skin.
15 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A lancing device having a low-mass, high-velocity lancet decoupled from a drive mechanism when piercing a user'"'"'s skin. The drive mechanism includes a spring-driven piston that impacts the lancet on firing to propel the lancet from a retracted position towards an extended position. After impact, but before the lancet reaches the extended position, a stop limits the travel of the piston to separate the piston from the lancet. Precise guidance of the lancet minimizes lateral movement of the lancet.
193 Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A lancing device for puncturing skin, comprising:
-
a lancet movable between a retracted position and an extended position; a drive member that is forwardly movable to impact the lancet to drive the lancet forward from the retracted position toward the extended position; and a drive member stop member that stops the forward travel of the drive member before the lancet reaches the extended position, wherein the drive member stop member does not stop the forward travel of the lancet and the lancet decouples from the drive member and continues moving forward under its own momentum toward the extended position after the drive member is stopped by the drive member stop member, wherein the drive member is decoupled from the lancet from before the lancet reaches the extended position at least until the lancet is in the extended position so that the mass of the drive member is not bearing on the lancet when the lancet punctures the skin. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A lancing device comprising:
-
a lancet movable between a retracted position and an extended position; a drive member that impacts the lancet to drive the lancet from the retracted position to the extended position, wherein the drive member is decoupled from the lancet when the lancet is in the extended position; a drive member stop member that limits the travel of the drive member before the lancet reaches the extended position, wherein the drive member stop member does not limit the travel of the lancet and the lancet decouples from the drive member and continues moving under its own momentum toward the extended position after the drive member is stopped by the drive member stop member; and a lancet stop member that limits the travel of the lancet in the extended position, the lancet stop member being a separate structure from the drive member stop member. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method of lancing skin to sample body fluid, comprising:
-
impacting a lancet with a drive member to move the lancet forward from a retracted position to an extended position; and decoupling the lancet from the drive member through at least a portion of a path of forward travel of the lancet by impacting the drive member, but not the lancet, against a drive member stop member before the lancet reaches the extended position so that the drive member stops its forward travel and the lancet continues its forward travel under its own momentum towards the extended position, wherein the drive member decouples from the lancet from before the lancet reaches the extended position at least until the lancet is in the extended position so that the mass of the drive member is not bearing on the lancet when the lancet lances the skin. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
-
Specification