Contact activated lancet device

• US 20060052809A1
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Rutynowski, Wlodzinierz, Karbowniczek, Jacek Grzegorz, Wilkinson, Bradley
• Granted Patent: US 9,380,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/181
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00424 ergonomic, e.g. fitting in fist
• 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 5/150259 Improved gripping, e.g. with high friction pattern or projections on the housing surface or an ergonometric shape
• 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 5/150549 Protectors removed by rotational movement, e.g. torsion or screwing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150618 Integrally moulded protectors, e.g. protectors simultaneously moulded together with a further component, e.g. a hub, of the piercing element
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150717 manually removed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150824 by visual feedback
• 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 5/1513 comprising linear sliding guides comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15142 Devices intended for single use, i.e. disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15144 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for retracting the piercing unit into the housing

Abstract

A lancet device including a housing and a lancet structure having a puncturing element. The lancet structure disposed within the housing and adapted for movement between a retaining or pre-actuated position wherein the puncturing element is retained within the housing, and a puncturing position wherein the puncturing element extends through a forward end of the housing. The lancet device includes a drive spring disposed within the housing for biasing the lancet structure toward the puncturing position, and a retaining hub retaining the lancet structure in the retracted position against the bias of the drive spring. The retaining hub includes a pivotal lever in interference engagement with the lancet structure. An actuator within the housing pivots the lever, thereby moving the lancet structure toward the rearward end of the housing to at least partially compress the drive spring, and releasing the lever from interference engagement with the lancet structure.

Claims

1. A lancet device comprising:

a housing;

a lancet structure comprising a puncturing element, the lancet structure disposed within the housing and adapted for movement between a pre-actuated position wherein the puncturing element is retained within the housing and a puncturing position wherein the puncturing element extends through a forward end of the housing,

a drive spring disposed between a rearward end of the housing and the lancet structure for biasing the lancet structure toward the puncturing position; and

a lever element pivotal about a fulcrum, the lever element providing interference engagement with the lancet structure and retaining the lancet structure in the pre-actuated position and adapted to retain the lancet structure against the bias of the drive spring;

wherein movement of the housing toward the lever element causes a portion of the lever element to pivot about the fulcrum, thereby moving the lancet structure toward the rearward end of the housing to at least partially compress the drive spring and releasing the interference engagement between the lever element and the lancet structure, permitting the drive spring to drive the lancet structure through the housing toward the puncturing position.

2. A lancet device as in claim 1, wherein the lever element comprises a class 1 lever.

3. A lancet device as in claim 1, further comprising an internal contact within the housing, wherein movement of the housing toward the lever element causes the internal contact within the housing to pivot a portion of the lever element about the fulcrum.

4. A lancet device as in claim 3, wherein the lever element comprises a shoulder in interference engagement with the lancet structure and a contact surface for engagement with the internal contact of the housing.

5. The lancet device of claim 4, wherein the internal contact of the housing comprises an integrally formed cam surface for cooperating engagement with the contact surface of the lever element.

6. The lancet device of claim 4, wherein the lever element comprises a wedge pivotally hinged to a retaining hub forming a pivot hinge defining the fulcrum for cooperative pivoting of the shoulder and the contact surface.

7. The lancet device of claim 6, wherein the retaining hub comprises an annular rim with the lever pivotally hinged to the annular rim.

8. The lancet device of claim 7, wherein the retaining hub comprises a pair of levers supported on opposing sides of the annular rim.

9. The lancet device of claim 4, wherein the lancet structure further comprises a carrier element including a finger in interference engagement with the shoulder of the lever element.

10. The lancet device of claim 1, further comprising a shield extending through the forward end of the housing and movable with respect to the housing, with the lever element adjacent a rearward end of the shield.

11. The lancet device of claim 10, wherein the lever element comprises a lever pivotally hinged to a retaining hub with the lancet structure retained by the lever element at the rearward end of the shield, and wherein movement of the rearward end of the shield toward the rearward end of the housing causes the internal contact within the housing to pivot the lever of the retaining hub.

12. The lancet device of claim 10, wherein the lancet structure and the shield including corresponding guiding surfaces for guiding the lancet structure through the shield.

13. The lancet device of claim 10, wherein the shield and the housing including corresponding guiding surfaces for guiding the shield through the housing.

14. The lancet device of claim 10, further comprising a retraction spring for retracting the lancet structure within the shield after the drive spring drives the lancet structure through the shield toward the puncturing position.

15. The lancet device of claim 10, further comprising locking structure extending between the shield and the housing for maintaining the shield in fixed relation to the housing after the drive spring drives the lancet structure through the shield toward the puncturing position.

16. The lancet device of claim 1, further comprising a lancet cover removably covering the puncturing element of the lancet structure.

80. The lancet device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a forward housing body and a rear housing body which mate at a substantial midpoint of the total length of the housing.

82. The lancet device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises at least one finger grip indentation comprising a concave surface shape facing substantially transversely away from an axis passing axially through the puncture element, and wherein the concave surface shape is chosen from the group consisting of a semicircle, an ellipse, a hyperbola, and a parabola.

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62. A lancet device comprising a housing and a lancet including a puncturing element movable within the housing and retained within the housing against a bias of a drive spring biasing the lancet toward a puncturing position in which the puncturing element extends through a forward end of the housing, the improvement comprising a retaining hub comprising at least one lever in interference engagement with the lancet for retaining the lancet within the housing against the bias of the drive spring, the lever being pivotal about a fulcrum upon contact with an internal contact within the housing to release the lancet from interference engagement with the lever, thereby permitting the drive spring to drive the lancet toward a puncturing position.

63. A lancet device as in claim 62, wherein the retaining hub is annular.

64. A lancet device as in claim 62, wherein lever comprises a class 1 lever.

65. A lancet device as in claim 62, wherein the internal contact comprises a surface integrally formed within the housing for contacting the lever.

66. A lancet device as in claim 62, wherein movement of the housing and the retaining hub with respect to each other causes the internal contact within the housing to pivot the lever about the fulcrum.

67. A lancet device as in claim 66, further comprising a shield extending through a forward end of the housing and moveable with respect to the housing, the retaining hub adjacent a rearward end of the shield, at least a portion of the lancet being axially moveable through the shield and the retaining hub upon release of the lancet from interference engagement with the lever.

68. A method of retaining a lancet structure in a pre-activated position within a housing, comprising providing the lancet structure with a puncturing element disposed within the housing, and retaining the puncture element within the housing against a bias of a drive spring biasing the lancet structure toward a puncturing position in which the puncturing element extends through a forward end of the housing, the improvement comprising retaining the lancet within the housing against the bias of the drive spring with a retaining hub comprising a rim including a lever in interference engagement with the lancet structure, the lever being pivotal about a fulcrum.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein movement of the housing and the retaining hub with respect to each other causes a contact within the housing to pivot the lever about the fulcrum, thereby moving the lancet structure toward the rearward end of the housing to at least partially compress the drive spring and releasing the lever from interference engagement with the lancet structure, permitting the drive spring to drive the lancet structure through the housing toward the puncturing position.

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