Lancet and lancet device including the same

• US 8,251,919 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2005
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Original Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Inventors: Fukuzawa, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANEGA, RENEE A
• Application Number:
  US11/664,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20090012427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,499 Days
• Field of Search: 600/583, 606/182
• US Class Current: 600/583
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150198 Depth adjustment mechanism at the proximal end of the carrier of the piercing element
• 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 5/150503 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 5/150549 Protectors removed by rotational movement, e.g. torsion or screwing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150564 Protectors removed by pulling or pushing
• 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 5/150916 by blocking components, e.g. piston, driving device or fluid passageway
• 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 5/1519 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

In order to provide a lancet which has a simple structure and which can secure safety, in particular, after use, and a lancet device including the same, a lancet (20) includes a casing (22), and a puncture body (23) which is accommodated in the casing (22) so as to be movable in a puncturing direction. For removing the lancet (20) from a main body (30), the lancet (20) has a convex portion (22b) formed on an inner surface (22a) of the casing (22) and a recessed portion (groove (23c)) formed on the puncture body (23), which form fitting for holding the puncture body (23) so as to be immovable in the puncturing direction in the casing (22).

Claims

1. A lancet to be detachably attached to a main body portion of a lancet device, the lancet device including a biasing member configured to cause a tip of a puncture needle to protrude in a predetermined puncturing direction, the lancet comprising:

a puncture body including a puncture needle and a connection portion which is formed on an end opposite to the puncture needle and is releasably connected to the main body portion of the lancet device;

a case portion including a tubular portion which accommodates the puncture body so as to be movable back and forth in the puncturing direction, and an opening formed on an end such that the puncture needle protrudes through the opening; and

a first fitting portion formed on the tubular portion of the case portion and being disconnected from the puncture body prior to puncturing use and holding the puncture body within the case portion so as to be immovable back and forth in the puncturing direction after puncturing use when the connection portion of the puncture body is released from the main body portion of the lancet device after puncturing use.

2. The lancet according to claim 1, further comprising a second fitting portion configured to hold the puncture body so as to be immovable back and forth in the puncturing direction before use.

3. The lancet according to claim 2, wherein the second fitting portion is formed by combining a convex portion and a recessed portion formed on a cap portion attached to a front end side of the puncture body so as to cover a tip of the puncture needle and an inner surface of the tubular portion.

4. The lancet according to claim 3, wherein the cap portion is integrally formed with the puncture body.

5. The lancet according to claim 1, wherein the first fitting portion has a strong fitting force to prohibit the puncture needle to again move in the puncturing direction.

6. The lancet according to claim 1, wherein the first fitting portion holds the puncture body at a position closer to a portion connected to the main body than a standby position of the puncture body immediately before being discharged so that a tip of the puncture needle protrudes from the opening.

7. The lancet according to claim 1, wherein the first fitting portion is formed by combining a convex portion and a recessed portion formed on an outer peripheral surface of the puncture body substantially parallel to the puncturing direction and an inner peripheral surface of the case portion in which the puncture body moves.

8. The lancet according to claim 7, wherein at least one the convex portion and the recessed portion resiliently deforms to fit to each other.

9. The lancet according to claim 1, wherein the first fitting portion includes:

a recessed portion which is formed on an outer periphery of the puncture body and is formed adjacent to a protrusion of a tapered shape becoming narrower toward the side connected to the main body; and

a convex portion which is formed on an inner surface of the tubular portion and fits to the recessed portion.

10. The lancet according to claim 1, comprising a tapered portion formed on either an outer periphery portion of the puncture body or an inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion.

11. The lancet according to claim 1, wherein the first fitting portion includes:

a convex portion formed on an outer periphery portion of the puncture body; and

a recessed portion which is provided adjacent to a tapered portion formed on an inner surface of the tubular portion and fits to the convex portion.

12. The lancet according to claim 1, wherein the first fitting portion includes:

a recessed portion which is formed adjacent to a plurality of protrusions protruding toward a direction orthogonal to the puncturing direction on an outer peripheral surface of the puncture body; and

a convex portion which is formed on an inner surface of the tubular portion and fits to the recessed portion.

13. The lancet according to claim 1, wherein the first fitting portion includes:

a plurality of convex portions protruding toward a direction orthogonal to the puncturing direction on an outer peripheral surface of the puncture body; and

a recessed portion which is formed on an inner cylindrical surface of the tubular portion and fits to the convex portions.

14. The lancet according to claim 1, wherein the first fitting portion includes a convex portion which is formed to protrude in a direction orthogonal to the puncturing direction from an outer periphery of the puncture body, and has a cross section cut along a plane perpendicular to the puncturing direction which is an ellipsoidal shape.

15. The lancet according to claim 1, further comprising an analysis tool which is attached to an end of the case portion on the front side in the puncturing direction, and analyzes a particular component in body fluid collected from a puncture wound formed by the puncture needle.

16. A lancet device, comprising:

a lancet according to claim 1;

a main body portion including a puncture body holder configured to hold a rear end side of the puncture body with the lancet being loaded, and a biasing member configured to discharge the puncture body with the puncture body holder in the puncturing direction; and

a third fitting portion configured to hold the puncture body and the puncture body holder in the puncturing direction.

17. The lancet device according to claim 16, wherein the third fitting portion has a fitting force configured to hold the puncture body which is weaker than that of the first fitting force.

18. The lancet device according to claim 16, wherein:

the lancet has a second fitting portion formed of a cap portion configured to cover a tip of the puncture needle and the puncture body, in order to hold the puncture body in the case portion before use; and

the third fitting portion has a fitting force stronger than that of the second fitting portion.

19. The lancet device according to claim 16, wherein the third fitting portion includes:

a groove portion formed on an outer peripheral surface of the puncture body which is substantially parallel to the puncturing direction; and

a protrusion which is formed on the puncture body holder of the main body portion, and fits to the groove portion.

20. The lancet device according to claim 16, further comprising a fitting release mechanism configured to release fitting at the third fitting portion.

21. The lancet device according to claim 19, wherein the protrusion is formed on a tip of the puncture body holder via an elastic member having elasticity in a direction orthogonal to the puncturing direction.

22. The lancet device according to claim 19, wherein the puncture body further includes an insertion portion which is formed adjacent to the groove portion on a side connected to the main body portion and becomes narrower toward the side connected to the main body portion.

23. The lancet according to claim 1, wherein the first fitting portion is formed of:

a plurality of elastic members which are provided on an outer peripheral portion of the puncture body and resiliently deform in a direction orthogonal to a puncturing direction; and

a recessed portion which is formed on an inner periphery of the case portion and to which the elastic members fit.

24. The lancet according to claim 23, wherein, configured to the puncture body from the main body portion, the puncture body moves relatively to the case portion in the puncturing direction, and the elastic members contact a part of the case portion and resiliently deform in the direction orthogonal to the puncturing direction so that the elastic members and the recessed portion fit each other.

25. The lancet according to claim 23, wherein the first fitting portion also functions as a second fitting portion configured to hold the puncture body in the case portion before puncturing.

26. The lancet according to claim 25, wherein, configured to attach the puncture body to the main body portion, the elastic members contact a part of the main body portion and resiliently deform in the direction orthogonal to the puncturing direction, and the puncture body moves relatively to the case portion in the puncturing direction to disengage the elastic members and the recessed portion.

27. The lancet according to claim 23, wherein the casing has a wall portion provided so as to cover the elastic members of the puncture body.

28. The lancet according to claim 1, wherein the first fitting portion is formed by combining a recessed portion formed between a plurality of elastic members which are provided on an outer peripheral portion of the puncture body and resiliently deform in a direction orthogonal to the puncturing direction and a collar portion formed on a tip of the puncture body, and a convex portion formed on an inner peripheral surface side of the case portion.

29. The lancet according to claim 1, wherein the first fitting portion is formed by combining an elastic member formed in the case portion and resiliently deforms in a direction orthogonal to the puncturing direction, and a recessed portion formed on an outer peripheral portion of the puncture body.

30. The lancet according to claim 28 wherein a cross section of the puncture body along the direction orthogonal to the puncturing direction has a circular shape.

31. The lancet according to claim 29, wherein the puncture body further includes a tapered portion located so as to be adjacent to the recessed portion.

32. A lancet to be detachably attached to a main body portion of a lancet device, the lancet device including a biasing member configured to cause a tip of a puncture needle to protrude in a predetermined puncturing direction, the lancet comprising:

a puncture body including a puncture needle and a connection portion which is formed on an end opposite to the puncture needle and is connected to the main body of the lancet device;

a case portion including a tubular portion which accommodates the puncture body so as to be movable back and forth in the puncturing direction, and an opening formed on an end thereof such that the puncture needle protrudes through the opening;

a cap portion removably fitted to the case portion such that when the cap portion is fitted to the case portion, the cap portion conceals the puncture needle and when the cap portion is removed the puncture needle is exposed and ready for puncturing use; and

a first fitting portion formed on the case portion and being disconnected from the puncture body prior to puncturing use holding the puncture body in the case portion so as to be immovable back and forth in the puncturing direction when the connection portion of the puncture body is separated from the main body portion of the lancet device.