System and method for breaking a sterility seal to engage a lancet
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a lancet defining an engagement opening, wherein the engagement opening is in the lancet;
a firing mechanism to fire the lancet, the firing mechanism including an engagement blade that is configured to engage with the engagement opening of the lancet, the engagement blade having one or more cutting edges;
the engagement opening having one or more cut out portions at the one or more cutting edges when the blade engages the engagement opening to minimize dulling of the one or more cutting edges of the engagement blade; and
wherein the lancet is sealed inside a sterility sheet to form a lancet packet.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated lancing test strip includes a test strip and a lancet packet coupled to the test strip. The lancet packet includes a sterility sheet enclosing a lancet to maintain the sterility of the lancet and prevent cross-contamination between the test strip and the lancet. The sterility sheet allows the lancet to be sterilized separately from the test strip. In one form, a firing mechanism has a blade that punctures and slits the sterility sheet during the firing cycle to reduce the chance of cross contamination between the lancet and the test strip prior to use. This allows an operator to load and subsequently remove an unused integrated lancing test strip without compromising the sterility of the lancet. The lancet includes an engagement opening in which the blade of the firing mechanism engages the lancet. The engagement opening is configured to reduce the chance of the blade becoming dull.
124 Citations
42 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a lancet defining an engagement opening, wherein the engagement opening is in the lancet; a firing mechanism to fire the lancet, the firing mechanism including an engagement blade that is configured to engage with the engagement opening of the lancet, the engagement blade having one or more cutting edges; the engagement opening having one or more cut out portions at the one or more cutting edges when the blade engages the engagement opening to minimize dulling of the one or more cutting edges of the engagement blade; and wherein the lancet is sealed inside a sterility sheet to form a lancet packet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 42)
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13. An apparatus, comprising:
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a lancet defining an engagement opening where the lancet is coupled to a firing mechanism, wherein the engagement opening is in the lancet; and wherein the engagement opening is shaped like a rounded diamond with circular cut outs at opposite ends of the diamond. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus, comprising:
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a firing mechanism configured to fire a lancet that is sealed inside a lancet packet for cutting an incision in skin; and the firing mechanism including an engagement blade configured to engage the lancet, the engagement blade having a cutting edge positioned to cut a slit in the lancet packet for facilitating smooth actuation of the lancet; wherein the firing mechanism is configured to retract the lancet; and wherein the engagement blade includes a second cutting edge positioned to form a second slit in the lancet packet as the engagement blade retracts the lancet. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An apparatus, comprising:
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a lancet sealed inside a lancet packet to maintain sterility of the lancet; a test strip attached to the lancet packet; a firing mechanism including an engagement blade configured to engage with the lancet, the firing mechanism being configured to pierce the lancet packet with the blade; wherein the lancet has an engagement opening in which the engagement blade is received; and wherein the test strip has a relief slot configured to receive at least a portion of the engagement blade when engaged with the engagement opening of the lancet. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A method, comprising:
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engaging a blade of a firing mechanism with a lancet that is enclosed inside a packet, wherein the blade includes a first cutting edge and a second cutting edge;
firing the lancet with the firing mechanism by advancing the lancet with the blade to form an incision in skin;forming a slit in the packet with the first cutting edge of the blade, wherein said forming the slit in the packet occurs during said firing; and forming a second slit in the packet with the second cutting edge of the blade by retracting the lancet with the blade after forming the incision. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method, comprising:
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loading a lancet integrated test strip into a meter that includes a firing mechanism, wherein the lancet integrated test strip includes a lancet sealed inside a lancet packet and a test strip attached to the lancet packet, wherein the firing mechanism includes a blade that has a cutting edge; reducing cross-contamination risk between the lancet and the test strip by piercing the lancet packet after said loading the lancet integrated test strip; engaging the blade of the firing mechanism into an engagement opening that has a cut out portion positioned proximal the cutting edge of the blade to reduce dulling of the cutting edge; firing the lancet with the firing mechanism to cut an incision in skin; slitting the lancet packet with the cutting edge of the blade during said firing; and analyzing a body fluid sample from the incision with the test strip. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. A method, comprising:
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inserting an engagement blade of a firing mechanism inside an engagement opening in a lancet, wherein the lancet is sandwiched to a test strip that has a relief slot; wherein said inserting the engagement blade includes receiving at least a portion of the engagement blade in the relief slot of the test strip; firing the lancet by actuating the engagement blade of the firing mechanism; and wherein the portion of the engagement blade received in the relief slot travels inside the relief slot during said firing of the lancet. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification