Lancing device

• US 20040267300A1
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Mace, Chad Harold
• Granted Patent: US 7,510,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/182
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15019 Depth adjustment mechanism using movable stops located inside the piercing device housing and limiting the travel of the drive mechanism mechanisms using distal end caps A61B5/150183, mechanisms at the piercing element carrier proximal end A61B5/150198
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150305 Packages specially adapted for piercing devices or blood sampling devices kits for diabetes A61M5/003; packaging in general B65D
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150358 Strips for collecting blood, e.g. absorbent optical reagent test strips G01N21/8483; chemical reagent test strips G01N33/4875, G01N33/52
• 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 5/150847 Communication to or from blood sampling device transmitting measured data A61B5/0002
• 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 5/1519 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood

Abstract

A lancing device is adapted for use in firing a lancet into the skin of a patient to acquire a blood sample and, subsequent thereto, calculating and displaying the concentration of glucose in the acquired sample. In one embodiment, the device comprises a lancet and a torsion spring coupled to the lancet through a lancet holder. The torsion spring includes inner, middle and outer rings which are concentrically configured, a plurality of activation spring arms which connect the middle and outer rings and a plurality of return spring arms which connect the inner and middle rings. In use, the plurality of activation and return spring arms can be independently transformed between energized and de-energized states using a single, button-shaped mechanism. Rotation of the mechanism is used to energize the activation and return spring arms. With the return spring arms maintained in their energized state, depression of the mechanism transforms the activation spring arms from their energized state to their de-energized state which drives the lancet from a retracted position to an extended position. Once the activation spring arms reach their de-energized state, the return spring arms transform from their energized state to their de-energized state which pulls the lancet back from its extended position to its retracted position.

Claims

1. A lancing device comprising:

(a) a lancet, said lancet having a sharpened tip, and

(b) a torsion spring coupled to said lancet, said torsion spring comprising first and second concentric rings which are connected by a spring arm.

2. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the spring arm of said torsion spring is transformable between an energized state and a de-energized state.

3. The lancing device of claim 2 wherein the spring arm of said torsion spring is transformable between its energized and de-energized states through the rotation of one of said first and second rings relative to the other of said first and second rings.

4. The lancing device of claim 3 further comprising a housing shaped to define an interior cavity and an opening in communication with said interior cavity.

5. The lancing device of claim 4 wherein said lancet is adapted for movement between a retracted position in which the sharpened tip of said lancet is positioned within the interior cavity of said housing and an extended position in which the sharpened tip of said lancet is positioned outside of the interior cavity of said housing.

6. The lancing device of claim 5 wherein energy stored within the spring arm of said torsion spring is used to displace said lancet between its retracted and extended positions.

7. A lancing device comprising:

(a) a lancet, said lancet having a sharpened tip, and

(b) a torsion spring coupled to said lancet said torsion spring comprising,

(i) an inner ring,

(ii) a middle ring concentrically configured around said inner ring,

(iii) an outer ring concentrically configured around said middle ring,

(iv) a first spring arm connecting said middle ring to said outer ring, and

(v) a second spring arm connecting said inner ring to said middle ring.

8. The lancing device of claim 7 wherein said first spring arm extends from said middle ring to said outer ring along an arcuate path.

9. The lancing device of claim 8 wherein said second spring arm extends from said inner ring to said middle ring along an arcuate path.

10. The lancing device of claim 9 wherein said second spring arm extends from said inner ring to said middle ring in the opposite direction in which said first spring arm extends from said middle ring to said outer ring.

11. The lancing device of claim 7 wherein each of said first and second spring arms is independently transformable between an energized state and a de-energized state.

12. The lancing device of claim 11 further comprising a housing shaped to define an interior cavity and an opening in communication with said interior cavity.

13. The lancing device of claim 12 wherein said lancet is adapted for movement between a retracted position in which the sharpened tip of said lancet is positioned within the interior cavity of said housing and an extended position in which the sharpened tip of said lancet is positioned outside of the interior cavity of said housing.

14. The lancing device of claim 13 wherein said lancet is disposed in its retracted position when each of said first and second spring arms is in its de-energized state.

15. The lancing device of claim 14 wherein, with said second spring arm maintained in its energized state, transformation of said first spring arm from its energized state to its de-energized state serves to drive said lancet from its retracted position to its extended position.

16. The lancing device of claim 15 wherein, with said first spring arm maintained in its de-energized state, transformation of said second spring arm from its energized state to its de-energized state serves to drive said lancet from its extended position to its retracted position.

17. The lancing device of claim 7 wherein the inner ring of said torsion spring is fixedly coupled to said housing.

18. The lancing device of claim 17 further comprising:

(a) a lancet holder for holding said lancet, said lancet holder being fixedly coupled to the outer ring of said torsion spring, and

(b) a latch for selectively engaging said lancet holder.

19. The lancing device of claim 18 further comprising:

(a) a spring holder fixedly coupled to the middle ring of said torsion spring, and

(b) a ratchet for selectively engaging said spring holder.

20. The lancing device of claim 19 further comprising a mechanism fixedly coupled to said spring holder for selectively contacting said latch.

21. A lancing device comprising:

(a) a lancet, said lancet having a sharpened tip,

(b) a torsion spring coupled to said lancet, said torsion spring comprising a spring arm which is transformable between an energized state and a de-energized state, and

(c) a mechanism coupled to said torsion spring,

(d) wherein transformation of the spring arm of said torsion spring from its de-energized state to its energized state is effected through the manual activation of said mechanism.

22. The lancing device of claim 21 wherein transformation of the spring arm of said torsion spring from its energized state to its de-energized state is effected through the manual activation of said mechanism.

23. The lancing device of claim 22 wherein transformation of the spring arm of said torsion spring from its de-energized state to its energized state is effected through the manual rotation of said mechanism.

24. The lancing device of claim 23 wherein transformation of the spring arm of said torsion spring from its energized state to its de-energized state is effected through the depression of said mechanism.

25. The lancing device of claim 24 wherein said mechanism is in the form of a button.

26. A device comprising:

(a) a base shaped to define an interior cavity,

(b) a first set of components adapted to acquire a blood sample, said first set of components being at least partially disposed within the interior cavity of said base,

(c) a second set of components adapted to analyze the concentration of an analyte in the acquired blood sample, and

(d) a cover pivotally mounted to said base about a hinge.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein said second set of components are at least partially disposed within the interior cavity for said base.

28. The device of claim 26 wherein said base includes a front surface, a back surface, a top end and a bottom end.

29. The device of claim 28 wherein said base is shaped to include a door which is adapted to pivot relative to the remainder of said front surface to provide access to said first set of components.

30. The device of claim 29 wherein said base is shaped to include an opening in its bottom end which is in communication with said interior cavity.

31. The device of claim 30 wherein said base is shaped to include a slot in its top end which is in communication with said interior cavity.

32. The device of claim 26 wherein said cover is shaped to include a holder which is adapted to releasably retain a lancet.

33. The device of claim 26 wherein said cover is shaped to include a clip which is adapted to releasably retain a test strip.

34. The device of claim 26 wherien said first set of components comprises,

(a) a spring, and

(b) a lancet having a sharpened tip, said lancet being coupled to said spring, said lancet being adapted for movement between a retracted position in which the sharpened tip of said lancet is positioned within the interior cavity of said housing and an extended position in which the sharpened tip of said lancet is positioned outside of the interior cavity of said housing.

35. The device of claim 34 wherein said second set of components is adapted for use with a test strip which includes an enzyme, said test strip being adapted to receive a portion of the blood sample, said test strip generating an electrical signal in response to the reaction between the portion of the blood sample and the enzyme.

36. The device of claim 35 wherein said second set of components comprises,

(a) a data communication device for receiving the electrical signal generated from the test strip,

(b) a processing circuit in electrical connection with said data communication device for calculating the concentration of an analyte in the blood sample based upon the electrical signal, and

(c) a display for indicating the calculated concentration of the analyte in the blood sample.

37. The device of claim 36 wherein said data communication device is in the form of a test port.