Uni-directional drive mechanism for lancing device

• US 9,474,479 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2013
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Facet Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Facet Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Cuda, Carmine L., Pusey, Lauren R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henson, Devin
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCrosky, David J
• Application Number:
  US13/920,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20130338537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 600/583, 606/172, 606/181, 606/182, 604/117
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1411 by percutaneous method, e.g. by lancet
• 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 5/15113 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 5/15128 comprising 2D- or 3D-shaped elements, e.g. cams, curved guide rails or threads comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• 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 lancing device having a drive mechanism whereby unidirectional motion of the drive mechanism drives a lancet along an advancing portion and a retraction portion of a lancing stroke. A rotationally mounted crank member or a translationally mounted shuttle of the drive mechanism operate upon an associated linkage and/or a cam path portion of the lancet carrier to drive the carrier along the lancing stroke. Spring biased members optionally drive the mechanism and/or limit its extent of travel.

Claims

1. A lancing device drive mechanism for driving a lancet along a lancing stroke, the drive mechanism comprising:

a base member comprising an axle and first and second restriction tabs;

a crank member mounted to the axle of the base member and rotational about an axis of rotation within a range of rotatable movement, the crank member comprising an eccentric pin;

a lancet carrier for carrying the lancet along a translational path of travel defining the lancing stroke of the lancet;

a link having a first end pivotally connected to the eccentric pin of the crank member and a second end pivotally connected to the lancet carrier, the link coupling rotation of the crank member to drive translation of the lancet carrier; and

an opposed pair of springs, a first spring of the opposed pair having a first end abutting against the first restriction tab of the base member and a second end contacting the eccentric pin of the crank member to drive the crank member in a first direction, and a second spring of the opposed pair having a first end abutting against the second restriction tab of the base member and a second end contacting the eccentric pin of the crank member to drive the crank member in a second direction opposite the first direction.

2. The drive mechanism of claim 1, wherein the opposed pair of springs comprise a pair of torsion springs, each torsion spring comprising an inner arm and an outer arm.

3. The drive mechanism of claim 1, wherein the base member is fixed with respect to the axis of translation of the lancet carrier.

4. The drive mechanism of claim 3, wherein the range of rotatable movement of the crank member is between 45 degrees and 180 degrees with respect to the base member.

5. The drive mechanism of claim 1, wherein a continuous rotation of the crank member through the range of rotatable movement moves the lancet carrier through a complete lancing stroke.

6. A method of propelling a translating lancet carrier along a lancing stroke, the method comprising applying a uni-directional force to the lancet carrier through a drive mechanism, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a rotational crank member defining a range of rotational movement, a base member having a first restriction tab and a second restriction tab, and a link having a first end pivotally connected to the crank member and a second end pivotally connected to the lancet carrier;

wherein the link traverses a range of pivotal movement between 5 degrees and 45 degrees with respect to an axis of translation of the lancet carrier, wherein the method further comprises imparting pivotal movement to the link by actuation of a pair of opposed springs situated between the crank member and the base member, the pair of opposed springs comprising a first spring and a second spring, the first spring having a first portion directly engaging the first restriction tab and a second portion constraining motion of the crank member at a first end of its range of rotational movement, and the second spring having a first portion directly engaging the second restriction tab and a second portion constraining motion of the crank member at a second end of its range of rotational movement.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising completing the lancing stroke through a single continuous rotation of the rotational crank member across the range of rotational movement.