Method of manufacturing a skin pricking lancet

• US 10,561,355 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2014
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Owen Mumford
• Original Assignee: Owen Mumford
• Inventors: Calvert, Jack
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Vy Q
• Application Number:
  US15/103,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20160317072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,897 Days
• Field of Search: 606181-185
• 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 5/150114 by tissue compression, e.g. with specially designed surface of device contacting the skin area to be pierced
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150297 for piercing devices, i.e. devices ready to be used for lancing or piercing for piercing elements A61B5/150282, for driving devices A61B5/15029
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150335 by radiation
• 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 5/150549 Protectors removed by rotational movement, e.g. torsion or screwing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150648 fully automatically triggered, i.e. the triggering of the protective sleeve does not require a deliberate action by the user such as terminating the contact with the patient's skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150786 Optical identification systems, e.g. bar codes, colour codes
• 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 5/15117 comprising biased elements, resilient elements or a spring, e.g. a helical spring, leaf spring, or elastic strap
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15144 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for retracting the piercing unit into the housing

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a skin pricking lancet includes: thermoforming a plastic component; locating the thermoformed component and, optionally, one or more further plastic components around a lancet mechanism; and joining the located component(s) to form a hermetically sealed enclosure surrounding the lancet mechanism, the component(s) being formed and joined to provide a housing that structurally supports the lancet mechanism during use, and a cap breakable from the housing to facilitate firing of the lancet mechanism.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a skin pricking lancet, comprising:

thermoforming a plastic component by heating a plastic film until pliable, and then shaping the pliable plastic film by bringing opposing first and second parts of a mould together upon opposing first and second sides of the plastic film and thereby forcing the plastic film into a shape of the plastic component by way of said mould, the first and second parts of the mould separating after the plastic film has cooled and retains the shape of the plastic component;

locating the thermoformed plastic component around a lancet mechanism, where said lancet mechanism includes a needle, a drive spring, and a trigger; and

assembling the located plastic component to form a hermetically sealed enclosure surrounding the lancet mechanism,

the plastic component being formed and assembled to form a housing and a cap attached to the housing, the housing configured to structurally support the lancet mechanism during use, and the cap being breakable from the housing to facilitate firing of the lancet mechanism.

2. The method of manufacturing a skin pricking lancet according to claim 1, further comprising:

thermoforming one or more further plastic components,

wherein said locating includes locating also said one or more further plastic components around the lancet mechanism.

3. The method of manufacturing a skin pricking lancet according to claim 1, wherein

one or more further plastic components are located around the lancet mechanism, and

the located plastic component and the one or more further plastic components are joined together by heat sealing abutting peripheral edges thereof.

4. The method of manufacturing a skin pricking lancet according to claim 1, wherein the thermoformed plastic component has a thickness of between 0.4 and 1.5 mm.

5. The method of manufacturing a skin pricking lancet according to claim 1, further comprising:

creating a score around the sealed enclosure at a junction between the housing and the cap in order to facilitate breaking of the cap from the housing.

6. The method of manufacturing a skin pricking lancet according to claim 1, further comprising:

irradiating the sealed enclosure in order to sterilize the interior of the sealed enclosure including the lancet mechanism.

7. The method of manufacturing a skin pricking lancet according to claim 1, wherein the thermoformed plastic component forms both a part of the cap and a part of the housing.

8. The method of manufacturing a skin pricking lancet according to claim 1, further comprising:

forming a narrowing of the sealed enclosure at a junction between the housing and the cap.