Medical lancet

• US 7,361,182 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2004
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lightnix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lightnix, Inc.
• Inventors: Aoyagi, Seiji, Fukuda, Mitsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; (Jackie) Tan-Uyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): TYSON, MELANIE RUANO
• Application Number:
  US10/784,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20050149088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 606/75, 606/222, 606/223, 606/23, 606/28, 606/41, 606 43- 45, 606/167, 606/170, 606/181, 606184-189, 600/583, 411/494, 411496-498, 411/490, 411/492
• US Class Current: 606/181
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1411 by percutaneous method, e.g. by lancet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150099 by negative pressure, other than vacuum extraction into a syringe by pulling on the piston rod or into pre-evacuated tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150106 Means for reducing pain or discomfort applied before puncturing; desensitising the skin at the location where body is to be pierced
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150229 Pumps for assisting the blood sampling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150282 for piercing elements, e.g. blade, lancet, canula, needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150396 Specific tip design, e.g. for improved penetration characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150404 Specific design of proximal end
• 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 5/150419 comprising means for capillary action
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150427 Specific tip design, e.g. for improved penetration characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150458 Specific blade design, e.g. for improved cutting and 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 5/150511 Details of construction of shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3286 Needle tip design, e.g. for improved penetration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/422 Desensitising skin

Abstract

One of aspects of the present invention is to provide a medical lancet, which includes a first ascending region, a descending region, and a second ascending region subsequently and integrally formed of biodegradable material. Those regions extend from a point of the lancet in a predetermined direction, and each of the regions having triangular cross sections taken along any planes perpendicular to the predetermined direction. The first and second ascending regions have the triangular cross sections of which area monotonically increases as being away from the point. Also, the descending region has the triangular cross sections of which area monotonically decreases as being away from the point. The first and second ascending regions have the largest cross section having substantially the same size and shape to each other.

Claims

1. A medical lancet, comprising:

a first ascending region having a sharp point, a descending region, and a second ascending region subsequently and integrally formed of biodegradable material, extending from the point in a predetermined direction, each of said regions having triangular cross sections taken along any planes perpendicular to the predetermined direction;

said first and second ascending regions having the triangular cross sections of which area monotonically increases as being away from the point; and

said descending region having the triangular cross sections of which area monotonically decreases as being away from the point;

wherein said first and second ascending regions have the largest cross section having substantially the same size and shape to each other.

2. A medical lancet according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one additional descending and ascending regions subsequently and integrally formed of biodegradable material and connected to said second ascending region, extending in the predetermined direction;

wherein each of said additional descending and ascending regions has the triangular cross sections taken along any planes perpendicular to the predetermined direction, of which area monotonically decreases and increases as being away from the point, respectively; and

wherein said first and second ascending regions have the largest cross section having substantially the same size and shape to each other.

3. The medical lancet according to claim 1,

wherein the smallest cross section in the descending region is similar to the largest cross section in the ascending regions, and

wherein the smallest cross section in the descending region has an area greater than one-fourth of the area of the largest cross section in the ascending regions.

4. The medical lancet according to claim 3,

wherein the smallest cross section in the descending region has an area greater than four-ninths of the area of the largest cross section in the ascending regions.

5. The medical lancet according to claim 1,

wherein the largest cross sections in said first and second ascending regions are spaced away from each other by a gap greater than one micron.

6. The medical lancet according to claim 1,

wherein a continuous curved portion is provided between said descending region and said second ascending region for smoothly connecting thereof.

7. The medical lancet according to claim 1, further comprising:

a constant region integrally formed of biodegradable material between said descending region and said second ascending region, having triangular cross sections taken along any planes perpendicular to the predetermined direction, of which area is constant.

8. The medical lancet according to claim 1,

wherein the area of the triangular cross sections in the first and second ascending regions are linearly increased at first and second increasing rates, respectively, and the first increasing rate falling within a range between one-sixteenth and one of the second increasing rate.

9. The medical lancet according to claim 8,

wherein the first increasing rate is one-ninth of the second increasing rate.

10. The medical lancet according to claim 1, further comprising:

a holding region of biodegradable material connected to said second ascending region.

11. The medical lancet according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one channel extending in the predetermined direction through at least one of said first and second ascending regions and descending region.

12. The medical lancet according to claim 11,

wherein said holding region has at least one chamber in communication with said channel.

13. The medical lancet according to claim 12,

wherein said channel has at least one opening.

14. The medical lancet according to claim 11,

wherein said channel has at least two openings spaced away from each other by a predetermined gap.

15. The medical lancet according to claim 11,

wherein said at least one channel includes a plurality of channels, and

wherein said holding region has a plurality of chambers, each of the chambers being in communication with corresponding one of said plurality of channels.

16. The medical lancet according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one groove extending in the predetermined direction through at least one of said first and second ascending regions and descending region.

17. The medical lancet according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of vertical cavities extending in a vertical direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction; and

a seal membrane of biodegradable material for sealing said vertical cavities;

wherein the seal membrane has the thickness in the vertical direction that varies based upon the position of each of the vertical cavities.

18. A medical lancet, comprising:

a first ascending region having a sharp point, a descending region, and a second ascending region subsequently and integrally formed of biodegradable material, extending from the point in a predetermined direction, each of said regions having trapezoidal cross sections taken along any planes perpendicular to the predetermined direction;

said first and second ascending regions having the trapezoidal cross sections of which base monotonically Increases as being away from the point; and

said descending region having the trapezoidal cross sections of which base monotonically decreases as being away from the point;

wherein said first and second ascending regions have the largest cross section having substantially the same size and shape to each other.

19. The medical lancet according to claim 18, further comprising:

at least one additional descending and ascending regions subsequently and integrally formed of biodegradable material and connected to said second ascending region, extending in the predetermined direction;

wherein each of said additional descending and ascending regions has the trapezoidal cross sections taken along any planes perpendicular to the predetermined direction, of which base monotonically decreases and increases as being away from the point, respectively; and

wherein said first and second ascending regions have the largest cross section having substantially the same size and shape to each other.

20. The medical lancet according to claim 18,

wherein the smallest cross section in the descending region has a base greater than a half of the base of the largest cross section in the ascending regions.

21. The medical lancet according to claim 20,

wherein the smallest cross section in the descending region has a base greater than two-thirds of the base of the largest cross section in the ascending regions.

22. The medical lancet according to claim 18,

wherein the largest cross sections in said first and second ascending regions are spaced away from each other by a gap greater than one micron.

23. The medical lancet according to claim 18, further comprising:

a constant region integrally formed of biodegradable material between said descending region and said second ascending region, having trapezoidal cross sections taken along any planes perpendicular to the predetermined direction, of which base is constant.

24. The medical lancet according to claim 18,

wherein the base of the trapezoidal cross sections in the first and second ascending regions are linearly increased at first and second increasing rates, respectively, and the first increasing rate falling within a range between one-fourth and one of the second increasing rate.

25. The medical lancet according to claim 24,

wherein the first increasing rate is one-third of the second increasing rate.

26. The medical lancet according to claim 18, further comprising:

a holding region of biodegradable material connected to said second ascending region.