Lancing devices

• US 8,388,639 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2008
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Owen Mumford
• Original Assignee: Owen Mumford
• Inventors: Nicholls, Clive, Wozencroft, Robert Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Victor
• Assistant Examiner(s): Papeika, Rachel S
• Application Number:
  US12/673,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20100324582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• Field of Search: 606181-185, 606/117, 606/167, 604/131, 604/134, 600/573, 600/583
• US Class Current: 606/182
• 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 5/150503 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 5/151 Devices specially adapted for taking samples of capillary blood, e.g. by lancets , needles or blades
• 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 5/1513 comprising linear sliding guides comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• 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

A lancet device includes a main body in which is located a lancet drive shaft 20 having a lancet holder 22 at its front end. A front housing flap 12 is hinged to the front of the main body portion and opens to allow insertion/withdrawal of a lancet. A multi-function cocking/ejection element 16 is operable both to cock the drive shaft prior to firing and to eject a lancet from the lancet holder after firing. The cock/eject element also unlatches the front flap 12.

Claims

1. A lancing device, comprising:

an outer housing (10, 11), said outer housing (10, 11) having a forward portion (14) hingeable with respect to a remainder thereof between an open position in which there is access to a lancet holder (22), and a closed position ready for lancing, the hingeable forward portion (14) being latchable (46, 48) in said closed position;

a drive shaft (20) disposed in the housing for movement between a rearward and a forward position, said drive shaft having the lancet holder (22) at a forward end for receiving in use a lancet (24);

a drive spring urging (28) said drive shaft in a forward direction, a latch arrangement (30, 34) for latching said drive shaft in a rearward cocked position with the drive spring energised;

a trigger (18) for unlatching said drive shaft from its rearward position; and

a cocking/ejecting element having an externally accessible manually operable portion (62) and being arranged to be moveable in the rearward direction to cock the drive shaft, the cocking/ejecting element (66) further being operable (82) to eject a lancet from the lancet holder, and said cocking/ejecting element (66) has an unlatching element (68) disposed to unlatch said hingeable forward portion (14) when said cocking/ejecting element moved forwardly.

2. The lancing device according to claim 1, wherein said cocking/ejecting element (66) is moveable forwardly to eject a lancet (24) from said lancet holder (22).

3. The lancing device according to claim 2, wherein said latch includes an abutment (30) provided on the interior of the housing, which cooperates with a corresponding abutment (34) on the drive shaft (20), one of said abutments (30, 34) being resiliently deflectable out of engagement with the other.

4. The lancing device according to claim 1, wherein said latch includes an abutment (30) provided on an interior of the housing, which cooperates with a corresponding abutment (34) on the drive shaft (20), one of said abutments (30, 34) being resiliently deflectable out of engagement with the other.

5. The lancing device according to claim 4, wherein the abutment (34) on said shaft (20) is resiliently deflectable, and said trigger comprises an externally accessible trigger button (18) operable to engage and displace the abutment on said shaft.

6. The lancing device according to claim 5, wherein the housing (10, 11) is generally opaque in at least a rearward portion thereof, and said trigger button (18) comprises a transparent or translucent member having an internal space, and said shaft has an indicator portion (36) on its rearward end which projects into said space when said shaft (20) is in its rearward position.

7. The lancing device according to claim 1, wherein said cocking/ejecting element (66) comprises a spring support portion (79) disposed interiorly of the housing and acted upon by opposing spring means (70, 72).

8. A lancing device according to claim 1, wherein said cocking/ejecting element (66) has a cocking abutment (76) for engaging said shaft (20) and urging it rearwardly when said cocking/ejecting element (66) is moved rearwardly.

9. The lancing device according to claim 1, wherein said cocking/ejecting element (66) has an ejection finger (82) extending forwardly and operable to enter the lancet holder (22) to eject a lancet (24) when said element is moved forwardly.

10. The lancing device according to claim 1, wherein means for biasing is provided to bias the hinging movement of said forward portion (12).

11. The lancing device according to claim 1, wherein means for damping is provided to damp hinging movement of the forward portion (12).

12. The lancing device according to claim 1, wherein a bias element is provided to bias the hinging movement of said forward portion (12).

13. The lancing device according to claim 1, wherein a damping arrangement is provided to damp hinging movement of the forward portion (12).