Lancing device with a floating probe for control of penetration depth

• US 20050085839A1
• Filed: 10/20/2003
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson), LifeScan IP Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Lifescan Incorporated (Duv Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Allen, John, Olson, Lorin P., Doop, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,481,818 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/181
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150068 by tissue compression, e.g. with specially designed surface of device contacting the skin area to be pierced
• 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 5/150503 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 5/1519 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 includes a lancing mechanism, a floating probe and a pressure tip. The lancing mechanism includes a lancet carriage, a lancet holder slidably connected to the lancet carriage, and a lancet attached to the lancet holder. The pressure tip of the lancing device is configured for engaging a target site and creating a target site bulge. The floating probe is adapted to floatably contact the target site bulge and to operatively interact with the lance carriage to control a penetration depth of the lancet into the target site bulge. A method for lancing a target site includes providing the lancing device describe above and contacting the pressure tip of the lancing device with the target site. The pressure tip is then urged towards the target site to create a target site bulge with the floating probe of the lancing device floating on a surface of the target site bulge. Next, the target site bulge is lanced while the floating probe operatively interacts with the lance carriage to control a penetration depth of the lancet.

Claims

1. A lancing device comprising:

a lancing mechanism having;

a lancet carriage;

a lancet holder slidably connected to the lancet carriage; and

a lancet attached to the lancet holder;

a floating probe; and

a pressure tip for engaging a target site and creating a target site bulge;

wherein the floating probe is adapted to floatably contact said target site bulge and is configured to operatively interact with the lance carriage to control a penetration depth of the lancet into the bulge.

2. The lancing device of claim 1 further comprising:

a housing;

wherein the lancet carriage is slidably connected to the housing, the lancet holder is slidably connected to the lancet carriage and the floating probe is slidably connected to the housing.

3. The lancing device of claim 1, wherein the floating probe is formed from a rigid material.

4. The lancing device of claim 1, further comprising a launcher spring and a decoupling spring arranged in series.

5. The lancing device of claim 1, wherein the penetration depth is in the range of 0.25 to 1.5 mm.

6. The lancing device of claim 1 further comprising a stop lock assembly.

7. The lancing device of claim 2, wherein the lancing mechanism further includes an over-travel spring and a launcher spring, wherein the housing includes a floating probe spring, and wherein the floating probe spring, launcher spring and floating probe spring are configured to control movement and positioning of the floating probe, lancet carriage and lancet holder.

8. The lancing device of claim 1, wherein the pressure tip includes a probe stop surface.

9. The lancing device of claim 1, wherein the lancet carriage includes a lancet holder over-travel stop feature.

10. A method for lancing a target site, the method comprising:

providing a lancing device that includes;

a lancet carriage;

a lancet holder slidably connected to the lancet carriage; and

a lancet attached to the lancet holder;

a floating probe; and

a pressure tip for engaging a target site and creating a target site bulge;

wherein the floating probe is adapted to floatably contact said target site bulge and is configured to operatively interact with the lance carriage to control a penetration depth of the lancet into the bulge;

contacting the pressure tip with the target site;

urging the pressure tip towards the target site, thereby creating target site bulge such that the floating probe is floating on a surface of the target site bulge; and

lancing the target site bulge with the lancet while the floating probe operatively interacts with the lance carriage to control a penetration of the lancet.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the providing step provides a lancing device that further includes a stop lock assembly and wherein the lancing step lances the target site bulge while the stop lock assembly prevents movement of the floating probe.