Puncturing system for withdrawing a body fluid
First Claim
1. A lancing system, comprising:
- a housing having a drive unit;
a puncturing unit removably receivable in the housing and operable by the drive unit, the puncturing unit comprising a needle and a depth reference element that includes a skin contact area configured to contact the skin being punctured;
a coupling mechanism for connecting the puncturing unit to the drive unit, the coupling mechanism comprising a needle coupler having a needle stop that cooperates with a corresponding stop of the needle and a reference element coupler having a reference element stop that cooperates with a corresponding stop of the depth reference element;
wherein, during use of the lancing system, the drive unit drives the needle in a puncturing movement having a forward phase during which the needle is moved in a puncturing direction until its tip penetrates the skin, a retraction phase during which the needle is retracted from the skin, and a reversal point between the forward and retraction phases, the puncturing depth of the needle corresponding to the distance between the contact area and the tip of the needle at the reversal point;
wherein, the drive unit drives the depth reference element with the needle during at least part of the puncturing movement; and
further wherein, the puncturing depth is adjustable by changing a distance (d) existing at the reversal point between the skin contact area and the tip of the needle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a puncturing system for withdrawing body fluid. The puncturing system comprises a disposable puncturing unit, which includes a needle element for piercing into skin and a puncturing depth reference element with a skin contact area. The system includes a puncturing instrument which has a puncturing drive, wherein the puncturing drive is coupled by a coupling mechanism to the puncturing unit for driving the needle element to a puncturing depth, the puncturing depth being determined by the distance in the piercing direction between the skin contact area and the position of the tip of the needle at a reversal point of the puncturing movement. The puncturing depth reference element is connected to the needle element such that the puncturing depth reference element moves with the needle element during at least part of the puncturing movement. The puncturing depth reference element has a defined longitudinal position in the piercing direction relative to the needle element at least at the reversal point of the puncturing movement.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A lancing system, comprising:
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a housing having a drive unit; a puncturing unit removably receivable in the housing and operable by the drive unit, the puncturing unit comprising a needle and a depth reference element that includes a skin contact area configured to contact the skin being punctured; a coupling mechanism for connecting the puncturing unit to the drive unit, the coupling mechanism comprising a needle coupler having a needle stop that cooperates with a corresponding stop of the needle and a reference element coupler having a reference element stop that cooperates with a corresponding stop of the depth reference element; wherein, during use of the lancing system, the drive unit drives the needle in a puncturing movement having a forward phase during which the needle is moved in a puncturing direction until its tip penetrates the skin, a retraction phase during which the needle is retracted from the skin, and a reversal point between the forward and retraction phases, the puncturing depth of the needle corresponding to the distance between the contact area and the tip of the needle at the reversal point; wherein, the drive unit drives the depth reference element with the needle during at least part of the puncturing movement; and further wherein, the puncturing depth is adjustable by changing a distance (d) existing at the reversal point between the skin contact area and the tip of the needle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of withdrawing body fluid from a body part with a puncturing unit having a needle and a depth reference element with a contact surface, the method comprising:
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connecting the puncturing unit to a lancing device having a drive unit, the connection comprising a coupling mechanism comprising a needle coupler having a needle stop that cooperates with a corresponding stop of the needle and a reference element coupler having a reference element stop that cooperates with a corresponding stop of the depth reference element; adjusting the distance between the contact surface and the tip of the needle; using the drive unit to move the needle in a puncturing movement to puncture the body part, the puncturing movement having a forward phase, a retraction phase, and a reversal point therebetween; contacting the body part with the contact surface during the puncturing movement; and moving the depth reference element together with the needle element during at least part of the puncturing movement; wherein the puncturing depth of the needle corresponds to the distance between the contact surface and the tip of the needle at the reversal point. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A lancing system for withdrawing a body fluid from the skin of a human or animal, comprising:
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a housing having a puncturing drive; a puncturing unit comprising a needle for piercing into the skin in a piercing direction and a puncturing depth reference element having a skin contact area that contacts the skin; and a coupling mechanism for connecting the puncturing unit to the puncturing drive, the coupling mechanism comprising a needle coupler having a needle stop that cooperates with a corresponding stop of the needle and a reference element coupler having a reference element stop that cooperates with a corresponding stop of the puncturing depth reference element; wherein; (a) during use of the lancing system, the puncturing drive drives the needle in a puncturing movement having a forward phase during which the needle is moved in a puncturing direction until its tip penetrates the skin, a retraction phase during which the needle is retracted from the skin, and a reversal point between the forward and retraction phases; and (b) the distance between the skin contact area and the tip of the needle is adjustable to establish a predefined puncturing depth corresponding to the distance between the skin contact area and the needle tip at the reversal point, whereby the predefined puncturing depth is ensured and the maximum puncturing depth of the needle in the skin is limited. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification