Lancets

• US 7,713,280 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Owen Mumford, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Owen Mumford
• Inventors: Eaton, Mark, Marshall, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Anhtuan T
• Assistant Examiner(s): SONNETT, KATHLEEN C
• Application Number:
  US10/567,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20060229651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,083 Days
• Field of Search: 606/167, 606181-185, 606/189, 600/583
• US Class Current: 606/181
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150259 Improved gripping, e.g. with high friction pattern or projections on the housing surface or an ergonometric shape
• 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 5/150519 Details of construction of hub, i.e. element used to attach the single-ended needle to a piercing device or sampling device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150549 Protectors removed by rotational movement, e.g. torsion or screwing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150618 Integrally moulded protectors, e.g. protectors simultaneously moulded together with a further component, e.g. a hub, of the piercing element
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150717 manually removed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150885 Preventing re-use
• 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 5/15144 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for retracting the piercing unit into the housing

Abstract

A return spring arrangement for a lancet (6) is provided by a pair of undulating plastic webs (14) formed integrally with the lancet. The undulations of the two webs (14) are shown out of phase with one another. These webs (14) are flexible and thus are caused to concertina when the tips (15) of the webs hit the interior of a lancet holder on release of a drive spring. The energy stored within the collapsed webs (14) is then released to drive the lancet back within the lancet holder. This positive return of the lancet ensures that a needle (5) will retract safely into the lancet holder, after operation, and does not rely on the spring being locked into the lancet holder and onto the lancet.

Claims

1. A lancet device comprising a casing, and a lancet supported for reciprocatory movement in the casing between a cocked position and an advanced position, the lancet having a drive head at one end and a projecting needle at an other end, the lancet body having integral webs projecting down both sides toward the location of a tip of the projecting needle, the webs being of undulating form and of a resilient material so as to act as spring members, and a drive spring positioned between the casing and said drive head of the lancet to drive the lancet and projecting needle into an advanced position in which the needle performs a pricking operation and to compress said resilient webs, said resilient webs thereafter serving as return spring members to return the lancet to a position in which the needle is retracted into the casing, wherein, when said lancet is in its cocked position, forward free ends of the webs are spaced from respective abutment surfaces in said casing, and on movement towards said advanced position, said forward free ends engage the respective abutment surfaces to compress said webs.

2. A lancet device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lancet body and said webs are of a one-piece plastic material.