System for withdrawing blood

• US 8,043,317 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2001
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Immekus, Claudio, List, Hans, Fritz, Michael, Weiss, Thomas, Deck, Frank, Sacherer, Klaus-Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): LANG, AMY T
• Application Number:
  US10/415,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20040034318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,647 Days
• Field of Search: 606181-183, 606/167, 600/583
• US Class Current: 606/181
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150183 Depth adjustment mechanism using end caps mounted at the distal end of the sampling device, i.e. the end-caps are adjustably positioned relative to the piercing device housing for example by rotating or screwing
• 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 5/150572 Pierceable protectors, e.g. shields, caps, sleeves or films, e.g. for hygienic purposes
• 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 5/15113 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 5/15153 Multiple piercing elements stocked in a single compartment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15163 Characterized by propelling the piercing element in an axial direction relative to the disc
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15186 Devices loaded with a single lancet, i.e. a single lancet with or without a casing is loaded into a reusable drive device and then discarded after use; drive devices reloadable for multiple use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1519 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for propelling the piercing unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15194 fully automatically retracted, i.e. the retraction does not require a deliberate action by the user, e.g. by terminating the contact with the patient's skin

Abstract

The present invention includes a system for withdrawing body fluids. The system includes a drive unit having a plunger which is moved from a resting position into a lancing position in order to carry out a lancing process and a lancing unit containing a lancet with a needle. The plunger and lancet are coupled together by a form fit in order to carry out a lancing process. The invention additionally concerns a method for temporarily extending a needle from a device for withdrawing body fluid as well as a lancing unit that can be attached to the drive unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a plunger having a thickened region;

a lancet for piercing skin, the lancet having at least two holding elements gripping the thickened region of the plunger in between;

the holding elements each having a hook that face one another towards, wherein the hooks face the plunger, and wherein the holding elements grip around the thickened region of the plunger in a form-fitting manner;

a sleeve in which the lancet is slidably received, the sleeve having an internal region, wherein the internal region presses the holding elements towards one another to grip the plunger between the holding elements when the plunger pushes the lancet in a lancing direction to pierce the skin;

the internal region of the sleeve having a length to maintain the grip of the holding elements against the plunger when the plunger moves in a retracting direction to permit active withdrawal of the lancet from the skin, wherein the internal region presses the holding elements to grip around the thickened region of the plunger as the holding elements slide along the length of the internal region;

the holding elements being resiliently biased away from one another; and

the sleeve having a second region that is larger than the internal region to allow the holding elements to spread apart for disengaging the lancet from the plunger after the lancet is withdrawn from the skin, wherein the holding elements are disengaged from the plunger when the holding elements are in the second region.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

the lancet including a needle for puncturing the skin; and

the plunger directly contacting the needle to accurately control puncture depth of the needle.

3. An apparatus, comprising:

a plunger having a thickened region;

a lancet for piercing skin, the lancet having at least two holding elements gripping the thickened region of the plunger in between;

the holding elements each having a hook that face one another towards, wherein the hooks face the plunger, and wherein the holding elements grip around the thickened region of the plunger in a form-fitting manner;

a sleeve in which the lancet is slidably received, the sleeve having an internal region sized to push the holding elements towards one another to grip the plunger between the holding elements when the plunger pushes the lancet in a lancing direction to pierce the skin;

the internal region of the sleeve having a length to maintain the grip of the holding elements against the plunger when the plunger moves in a retracting direction to permit active withdrawal of the lancet from the skin;

the holding elements being resiliently biased away from one another;

the sleeve having a second region that is larger than the internal region to allow the holding elements to spread apart for disengaging the lancet from the plunger after the lancet is withdrawn from the skin;

the lancet including a needle for puncturing the skin;

the plunger directly contacting the needle to accurately control puncture depth of the needle;

wherein the thickened region of the plunger has a front end that rests against the needle and a rear end located opposite the front end; and

wherein the hooks of the holding elements grip behind the rear end of the thickened region.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

the lancet having a widened part; and

the sleeve having a widened region to correspond to the widened part of the lancet to prevent the lancet from sliding out of the sleeve.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

the sleeve having an internal edge; and

the holding elements having shoulders resting on the edge to prevent unintentional sliding of the lancet.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, in which a plurality of the lancets are stored in a magazine.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a plunger;

a lancet having a needle to pierce skin, the lancet having one or more holding elements to secure the lancet to the plunger, the holding elements being resiliently biased to disengage from the plunger;

a sleeve in which the lancet is received, the sleeve having an internal region sized to push the holding elements against the plunger to secure the holding elements to the plunger;

the lancet being slidable within the sleeve from an extended position where the needle is extended from the sleeve to a retracted position where the needle is retracted inside the sleeve;

wherein the holding elements are configured to slide against the internal region of the sleeve when the lancet moves from the extended position to the retracted position;

wherein the internal region of the sleeve counters the resilient biasing of the holding elements to hold the holding elements against the plunger to secure the holding elements with the plunger as the holding elements slide along the internal region to facilitate active retraction of the lancet, wherein the internal region presses the holding elements and the holding elements grip the plunger as the holding elements slide along the length of the internal region; and

the sleeve having a second region that is larger than the internal region to allow the holding elements to resiliently bias away from the plunger to disengage the lancet from the plunger when the lancet is at the retracted position, wherein the holding elements are disengaged from the plunger when the holding elements are in the second region.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, in which the holding elements are hook shaped.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

the lancet having at least two holding elements that are moveable to clamp towards one another.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

the plunger having a thickened region;

the holding elements being in the form of hooks; and

the hooks of the lancet being clamped around the thickened region of the plunger in a form-fitting manner.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

the thickened region having a length;

the hooks defining a space in which the thickened region of the plunger is received when gripped around the thickened region, the space having a length; and

the length of the thickened region and the length of the space defined by the hooks when coupled match one another for driving the lancet in a form-fitting manner.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, in which the plunger directly contacts the needle.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

the lancet having a widened part; and

the sleeve having a widened region to correspond to the widened part of the lancet to prevent the lancet from sliding out of the sleeve.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

the sleeve having an internal edge; and

the holding elements having shoulders resting on the edge to prevent unintentional sliding of the lancet.

15. The apparatus of claim 7, in which a plurality of the lancets are stored in a magazine.