Cap displacement mechanism for lancing device and multi-lancet cartridge

• US 8,298,255 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Facet Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Facet Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Conway, William E., Ruf, Christopher J., Irwin, John C., Flynn, Stephen J., Robbins, Avi M., VanHiel, Brian D., Leutz, Brian D., LeVaughn, Richard W., Lipoma, Michael V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Houston, Elizabeth
• Application Number:
  US11/931,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20080065134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,826 Days
• Field of Search: 606181-183, 600573-584, 604207-211
• US Class Current: 606/182
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32053 Punch like cutting instruments, e.g. using a cylindrical or oval knife A61B17/326 takes precedence; trepans A61B17/1695; for use on the cornea A61F9/007
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32093 for skin incisions
• 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 5/150564 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 5/150725 removal procedure linked to further actions, e.g. cocking of the piercing device, which indicate that the piercing device is used or tempered
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150885 Preventing re-use
• 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 5/15161 Characterized by propelling the piercing element in a radial direction relative to the disc
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15176 Stocking means comprising cap, cover, sheath or protection for aseptic stocking
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15182 Means for keeping track or checking of the total number of piercing elements already used or the number of piercing elements still remaining in the stocking, e.g. by check window, counter, display

Abstract

A medical lancing device including a replaceable multi-lancet cartridge. The lancing device includes an advancing mechanism that advances lancets within the cartridge into an active position, separates a protective cap from the active lancet, and energize a drive mechanism of the lancing device. A cap displacement mechanism moves the separated cap out of the travel path of the active lancet. In a first example embodiment, the cap displacement mechanism includes a cantilevered spring arm that displaces the detached cap of the active lancet. In a second example embodiment, the cap displacement mechanism includes a spring-biased cam-driven plunger that displaces the detached cap of the active lancet. Then an activation mechanism releases the energized active lancet to traverse the unobstructed lancing stroke path to pierce the subject'"'"'s skin at a desired lancing site.

Claims

1. A lancing device for use with a cartridge having an array of lancets, each lancet including a detachable cap, the lancing device comprising:

an advancing mechanism adapted to sequentially advance the lancets into an active lancet position;

a drive mechanism having a drive member adapted to engage and retract an active-positioned one of the lancets to detach the corresponding active-positioned cap, and to drive the active-positioned lancet along a lancing stroke; and

a cap-displacement mechanism including a cam-driven plunger adapted to engage and move the active-positioned and detached lancet cap in a direction perpendicular to the lancing stroke path of the active-positioned lancet; and

a spring element that biases the plunger relative to the cap of the active-positioned lancet, and a cam surface that drives the plunger against the bias of the spring element and moves the plunger relative to the cap of the active-positioned lancet, wherein the plunger has a follower surface that transcribes the cam surface to drive the plunger upon movement of the cam surface relative to the plunger.

2. The lancing device of claim 1, wherein the spring element biases the plunger away from the cap of the active-positioned lancet.

3. The lancing device of claim 1, wherein the spring element biases the plunger away from the cap of the active-positioned lancet, and wherein the cam surface drives the plunger against the bias of the spring element and into engagement with the cap of the active-positioned lancet to displace the active-positioned and detached lancet cap from the lancing stroke path of the active-positioned lancet.

4. The lancing device of claim 1, wherein the cap-displacement mechanism is operably coupled to the advancing mechanism so that the operation of the advancing mechanism also operates the cap-displacement mechanism.

5. The lancing device of claim 1, further comprising a housing containing the advancing mechanism, the drive mechanism, and the cap-displacement mechanism, wherein the multi-lancet cartridge is replaceably received in the housing, wherein the plunger is extendible out through an opening in the lancing device housing and in through an opening in the cartridge to engage the cap of the active-positioned lancet.

6. The lancing device of claim 1, a plurality of guide tracks defining an array of transverse guide paths along which the lancet caps are displaced transversely from the lancing stroke path, and wherein the guide tracks are adapted to retain the lancet caps after displacement from the lancing stroke path.

7. A lancing device for use with a cartridge having an array of lancets, each lancet including a detachable cap, the lancing device comprising:

an advancing mechanism adapted to sequentially advance the lancets into an active lancet position;

a drive mechanism having a drive member adapted to engage and retract an active-positioned one of the lancets to detach the corresponding active-positioned cap, and to drive the active-positioned lancet along a lancing stroke; and

a cap-displacement mechanism including a plunger with a follower surface, the plunger being biased away from the cap of the active-positioned lancet, and a cam surface, wherein the follower surface transcribes the cam surface upon movement of the cam surface relative to the plunger to drive the plunger into engagement with the cap of the active-positioned lancet to displace the active-positioned and detached lancet cap from the lancing stroke path of the active-positioned lancet.

8. The lancing device of claim 7, further comprising a spring element comprising a cantilevered leaf spring, wherein the spring element biases the plunger away from the cap.

9. The lancing device of claim 8, wherein the cantilevered leaf spring extends from the plunger.

10. The lancing device of claim 7, wherein the follower surface transcribes the cam surface upon rotary movement of the cam surface relative to the plunger.

11. The lancing device of claim 7, wherein the cam surface includes a plurality of ramped segments that drive the plunger as the plunger follower surface transcribes the ramped segments.

12. The lancing device of claim 7, wherein the cap-displacement mechanism is operably coupled to the advancing mechanism so that the operation of the advancing mechanism also operates the cap-displacement mechanism.

13. The lancing device of claim 7, a plurality of guide tracks defining an array of transverse guide paths along which the lancet caps are displaced transversely from the lancing stroke path, and wherein the guide tracks are adapted to retain the lancet caps after displacement from the lancing stroke path.

14. The cartridge assembly of claim 13, wherein the lancet caps define one or more cap guide surfaces that engage and ride along the guide tracks as the caps are displaced from the lancing stroke path.

15. The cartridge assembly of claim 14, wherein the guide tracks engage the cap guide surfaces to retain the active-positioned cap from being retracted with the active-positioned lancet so that the retained active-positioned cap separates from the retracted active-positioned lancet.

16. A lancing device for use with a cartridge having an array of lancets, each lancet including a detachable cap, the lancing device comprising:

an advancing mechanism adapted to sequentially advance the lancets into an active lancet position;

a drive mechanism having a drive member adapted to engage and retract an active-positioned one of the lancets to detach the corresponding active-positioned cap, and to drive the active-positioned lancet along a lancing stroke; and

a cap-displacement mechanism including a cam-driven plunger, the cap-displacement mechanism being operably coupled to the advancing mechanism so that operation of the advancing mechanism also operates the cap-displacement mechanism to move the cam driven plunger into engagement with the active-positioned and detached lancet cap and move the active-positioned and detached lancet cap from the lancing stroke path of the active-positioned lancet.