Lancets for bodily fluid sampling supplied on a tape

• US 7,909,776 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2005
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Raney, Charles C., Roe, Steven N., List, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pani; John
• Application Number:
  US11/105,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20050245845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,168 Days
• Field of Search: 600/573, 600/575, 600/583, 600/584, 600181-183, 422/66, 436/44
• US Class Current: 600/583
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150213 Venting means
• 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 5/150282 for piercing elements, e.g. blade, lancet, canula, needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150358 Strips for collecting blood, e.g. absorbent optical reagent test strips G01N21/8483; chemical reagent test strips G01N33/4875, G01N33/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150419 comprising means for capillary action
• 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 5/15113 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 5/15146 Devices loaded with multiple lancets simultaneously, e.g. for serial firing without reloading, for example by use of stocking means. multiple simultaneous cutting or piercing A61B5/150977
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15153 Multiple piercing elements stocked in a single compartment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15169 Characterized by a rolled strip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15173 Characterized by propelling the piercing element parallel to the direction of movement of the strip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15184 Piercing device comprising a separate compartment or unit for used piercing elements separate compartments for used piercing elements in stocking means A61B5/15178
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/110833 Utilizing a moving indicator strip or tape

Abstract

A supply of lancets for a multi-use lancing device are carried by a tape and sequentially brought from a storage position to an activating position by advancing the tape around a bend. The lancets are non-circular in cross-section along their longitudinal lengths, and in their activating position they extend from the tape such that their sharp tips are available for lancing tissue. The carrying tape can be arranged in reel-to-reel format in a housing having a lancing opening. The lancets can be integral with the tape and activated to move the lancet through the lancing opening by moving the tape along its tape path or by translating a dedicated service loop of the tape. The lancets can also be independent from the tape and activated through the lancing opening by a separate lancing actuator. A test media can be included on the carrying tape and the housing can contain a sensor to yield an integrated lancing and testing device.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining a bodily fluid sample comprising:

providing a reel-to-reel tape carrying a plurality of lancets, the lancets having lengths and being non-circular in cross section along a major portion of the lengths;

removing a sterile cover from a first lancet;

advancing the tape to position the first lancet adjacent a bend in the tape with a sharp tip of the first lancet spaced from the tape;

piercing tissue with the sharp tip of the first lancet;

after the piercing, advancing the tape to bring the sharp tip of the first lancet closer to the tape; and

after the advancing the tape to bring the sharp tip of the first lancet closer to the tape, covering and contacting the first lancet with the sterile cover.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

after the piercing, positioning a second lancet adjacent the bend in the tape with a sharp tip of the second lancet spaced from the tape; and

piercing tissue with the sharp tip of the second lancet.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising contacting a bodily fluid produced from the piercing with a test media carried by the tape.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the bodily fluid translates along a capillary groove in the lancet to contact the test media.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of lancets includes a proximal portion integral with the tape, and the advancing the tape includes the proximal portions preceding the sharp tips.

6. A method for obtaining a bodily fluid sample comprising:

providing a reel-to-reel tape carrying a plurality of lancets, the lancets having lengths and being non-circular in cross section along a major portion of the lengths;

removing a sterile cover from a first lancet;

advancing the tape to position the first lancet adjacent a bend in the tape with a sharp tip of the first lancet spaced from the tape;

piercing tissue with the sharp tip of the first lancet;

after the piercing, advancing the tape to bring the sharp tip of the first lancet closer to the tape; and

after the advancing the tape to bring the sharp tip of the first lancet closer to the tape, reapplying the sterile cover onto the first lancet.

7. A method for obtaining a bodily fluid sample comprising:

providing a reel-to-reel tape carrying a plurality of lancets, the lancets having lengths and being non-circular in cross section along a major portion of their lengths;

removing a sterile cover from a first lancet;

advancing the tape to position the first lancet adjacent a bend in the tape with a sharp tip of the first lancet spaced from the tape;

piercing tissue with the sharp tip of the first lancet;

after the piercing, advancing the tape to bring the sharp tip of the first lancet closer to the tape; and

after the advancing the tape to bring the sharp tip of the first lancet closer to the tape, replacing the sterile cover over the first lancet.

8. A method for obtaining a bodily fluid sample comprising:

providing a reel-to-reel lancet tape carrying a plurality of lancets, the lancets having lengths and being non-circular in cross section along a major portion of the lengths and a cover tape positioned on the lancet tape;

removing the cover tape from a first lancet with a take up reel configured to peel the cover tape away from the first lancet;

advancing the lancet tape to position the first lancet adjacent a bend in the tape with a sharp tip of the first lancet spaced from the tape;

piercing tissue with the sharp tip of the first lancet;

after the piercing, advancing the tape to bring the sharp tip of the first lancet closer to the tape; and

after the piercing, replacing the cover tape onto the first lancet with a reapplication reel.

9. The method of 8 further comprising:

the removing the cover tape includes forming a cover tape path defined by the take up reel, the reapplication reel, and a roller positioned between the take up reel and the reapplication reel.