Puncture needle cartridge and puncture device

• US 8,679,144 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lightnix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lightnix, Inc.
• Inventors: Fukuda, Mitsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pani, John
• Application Number:
  US12/737,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20120089050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 600/583, 600/573, 606/181, 606/182, 606/186
• US Class Current: 606/181
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150282 for piercing elements, e.g. blade, lancet, canula, needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150458 Specific blade design, e.g. for improved cutting and penetration characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15111 Semi-automatically triggered, e.g. at the end of the cocking procedure, for instance by biasing the main drive spring or when reaching sufficient contact pressure, the piercing device is automatically triggered without any deliberate action by the user
• 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 puncture needle cartridge 20 detachably mounted on a puncturing device body to form a puncturing device is provided with a needle body 21 having a puncturing portion 212a, and also with a casing 22 for housing the needle body 21 and having openings 223, 224 that are respectively formed in front of and behind the needle body 21. The needle body 21 is mounted so as to be movable between a retracted position, wherein the tip 212c of the puncturing portion is retraced in the casing 22, and an extended position, wherein the tip 212c of the puncturing portion is projected outward from the casing 22 by receiving a pressing force from the puncturing device body. The needle body 21 has a biasing means for biasing the needle body 21 from an extended position towards a retracted position. The puncture needle cartridge can be mass-produced at low cost, and enables a user to perform puncturing safely and easily.

Claims

1. A puncture needle cartridge for detachably mounting on a puncturing device body to form a puncturing device, the puncture needle cartridge comprising:

a needle body having a puncturing portion and a pair of engaging portions, each of the engaging portions having a tapered inclined surface;

a casing for housing the needle body, the casing having a pair of flexible members, and the casing having openings that are respectively formed in front of and behind the needle body;

the needle body being mounted to be movable between a retracted position, wherein a tip of the puncturing portion is retracted in the casing, and an extended position, wherein the tip of the puncturing portion is projected outward from the casing, by receiving a pressing force from the puncturing device body,

wherein the pair of flexible members are on opposite sides of the needle body to bias the needle body from the extended position towards the retracted position, a first end of each flexible member being fixed to an inner surface of the casing, and a second end of each flexible member being configured to slide in contact with a corresponding engaging portion,

wherein a circular arc shaped abutment portion formed at a tip of each flexible member contacts a corresponding engaging portion from among the pair of engaging portions, the corresponding engaging portion being linear in plan view,

wherein the second end of each flexible member is engaged with the needle body, and

wherein each flexible member is curved to project backward.

2. The puncture needle cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the pair of flexible members are on laterally opposite sides of the needle body.

3. The puncture needle cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the needle body and the casing are integrally molded using a biocompatible material.

4. A puncture needle cartridge for detachably mounting on a puncturing device body to form a puncturing device, the puncture needle cartridge comprising:

a needle body having a puncturing portion and a pair of engaging portions, each of the engaging portions having a tapered inclined surface;

a casing for housing the needle body, the casing having a pair of flexible members, and the casing having openings that are respectively formed in front of and behind the needle body;

the needle body being mounted to be movable between a retracted position, wherein a tip of the puncturing portion is retracted in the casing, and an extended position, wherein the tip of the puncturing portion is projected outward from the casing, by receiving a pressing force from the puncturing device body,

wherein the pair of flexible members are on opposite sides of the needle body to bias the needle body from the extended position towards the retracted position, a first end of each flexible member being fixed to an inner surface of the casing, and a second end of each flexible member being configured to slide in contact with a corresponding engaging portion,

wherein a circular arc shaped abutment portion formed at a tip of each flexible member contacts a corresponding engaging portion from among the pair of engaging portions, the corresponding engaging portion being linear in plan view, and wherein the flexible members are curved to project backward relative to a straight line connecting centers of first and second ends of the flexible members, the first end of which is fixed to the inner wall surface of the casing, and the second end of which includes the circular arc shaped abutment portions.

5. The puncture needle cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the pair of flexible members are on laterally opposite sides of the needle body.

6. The puncture needle cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the second end of each flexible member is engaged with the needle body.

7. The puncture needle cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the needle body and the casing are integrally molded using a biocompatible material.

8. The puncture needle cartridge according to claim 4, wherein a curvature between the first and second ends of the flexible members has a concave surface facing the puncturing portion of the needle body.

9. A puncture needle cartridge for detachably mounting on a puncturing device body to form a puncturing device, the puncture needle cartridge comprising:

a needle body having a puncturing portion and a pair of engaging portions, each of the engaging portions having a tapered inclined surface;

a casing for housing the needle body, the casing having a pair of flexible members, and the casing having openings that are respectively formed in front of and behind the needle body;

the needle body being mounted to be movable between a retracted position, wherein a tip of the puncturing portion is retracted in the casing, and an extended position, wherein the tip of the puncturing portion is projected outward from the casing, by receiving a pressing force from the puncturing device body,

wherein the pair of flexible members are on opposite sides of the needle body to bias the needle body from the extended position towards the retracted position, a first end of each flexible member being fixed to an inner surface of the casing, and a second end of each flexible member being configured to slide in contact with a corresponding engaging portion,

wherein a circular arc shaped abutment portion formed at a tip of each flexible member contacts a corresponding engaging portion from among the pair of engaging portions, the corresponding engaging portion being linear in plan view, and

wherein the flexible members have a concave curvature between the first and second ends of the flexible members, the first end of which is fixed to the inner wall surface of the casing, and the second end of which includes the circular arc shaped abutment portion.

10. The puncture needle cartridge according to claim 9, wherein the curvature between the first and second ends of the flexible members has a concave surface facing the puncturing portion of the needle body.

11. The puncture needle cartridge according to claim 9, wherein the pair of flexible members are on laterally opposite sides of the needle body.

12. The puncture needle cartridge according to claim 9, wherein the second end of each flexible member is engaged with the needle body.

13. The puncture needle cartridge according to claim 9, wherein the needle body and the casing are integrally molded using a biocompatible material.

14. The puncture needle cartridge according to claim 9, wherein a curvature between the first and second ends of the flexible members has a concave surface facing the puncturing portion of the needle body.

15. The puncture needle cartridge according to claim 9, wherein each flexible member is curved to project backward.