Trigger activated lancet

• US 20060259057A1
• Filed: 04/07/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Peret, James E., Kim, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,709,033 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 5/150259 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 5/150564 Protectors removed by pulling or pushing
• 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 5/150816 by tactile feedback, e.g. vibration
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150916 by blocking components, e.g. piston, driving device or fluid passageway
• 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 5/15128 comprising 2D- or 3D-shaped elements, e.g. cams, curved guide rails or threads comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15142 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 tip maintained within an interior cavity of the housing. The device incorporates a bow spring which cooperates with the lancet structure within the housing, and a trigger which extends laterally through and into the housing. The bow spring is resistive to movement, and therefore maintains the puncturing tip in a retracted position within the housing. Lateral movement of the trigger into the housing, such as through a pivoting trigger operation, biases the bow spring against this resistive to deflect the bow spring and extend the puncturing tip through the forward end of the housing to achieve a puncturing position.

Claims

1. A lancet device comprising:

a housing including an opening at a forward end thereof;

a lancet structure comprising a puncturing end, the lancet structure adapted for movement within the housing between a retracted position with the puncturing end within the housing and a puncturing position with the puncturing end extending through a forward end of the housing;

a bow spring maintaining the lancet structure in the retracted position in a first state; and

a trigger adapted for lateral movement into the housing,

wherein lateral movement of the trigger into the housing biases the bow spring from the first state to a second state, thereby extending the lancet structure to the puncturing position.

2. A lancet device as in claim 1, wherein lateral movement of the trigger into the housing causes the trigger to travel across at least a portion of the bow spring.

3. A lancet device as in claim 1, wherein the trigger is pivotable with respect to the housing, and wherein lateral movement of the trigger into the housing comprises pivoting the trigger to with respect to the housing.

4. A lancet device as in claim 1, wherein the lancet structure momentarily extends to the puncturing position upon lateral movement of the trigger.

5. A lancet device as in claim 1, wherein the trigger is pivotable with respect to the housing enabling the lateral movement of the trigger.

6. A lancet device as in claim 1, wherein the trigger is maintained within the housing upon lateral movement of the trigger into the housing.

7. A lancet device as in claim 1, wherein the trigger is maintained encapsulated by the housing after activation.

8. A lancet device as in claim 1, wherein the first state of the bow spring is its natural state, and wherein lateral movement of the trigger into the housing biases the bow spring against its natural state to extend the lancet structure to the puncturing position.

9. A lancet device as in claim 8, wherein lateral movement of the trigger into the housing biases the bow spring against its natural state and subsequently releases the bias against the bow spring, permitting the bow spring to return to its natural state thereby retracting the lancet structure to the retracted position.

10. A lancet device as in claim 9, wherein the trigger is maintained within the housing upon lateral movement of the trigger into the housing to a position in which the bias against the bow spring is released.

11. A lancet device as in claim 1, wherein the trigger comprises a cam surface for camming engagement with the bow spring for biasing the bow spring from the first state to the second state.

12. A lancet device as in claim 1, wherein the lancet structure comprises a body extending from one side of an apex of the bow spring, and wherein lateral movement of the trigger into the housing causes a portion of the trigger to contact an opposing side of the apex of the bow spring to bias the bow spring to extend the lancet structure to the puncturing position.

13. A lancet device as in claim 1, wherein the trigger is releasably maintained in a first position with at least a portion of the trigger extending laterally out of the housing.

14. A lancet device as in claim 13, wherein the trigger is maintained in the first position through a connection which fractures upon lateral movement of the trigger into the housing.

15. A lancet device comprising:

a housing including an interior cavity and an opening through the forward end;

a lancet structure maintained within the interior cavity of the housing, the lancet structure comprising a bow spring having a puncturing tip extending therefrom, the bow spring in a first state maintaining the puncturing tip in a retracted position within the housing; and

a trigger adapted for lateral movement into the housing so as to bias the bow spring from the first state to a second state thereby bending the bow spring and extending the puncturing tip through the forward end of the housing to achieve a puncturing position.

16. A lancet device as in claim 15, wherein lateral movement of the trigger into the housing biases the bow spring against its natural state to bend the bow spring and extend the puncturing tip to the puncturing position.

17. A lancet device as in claim 16, wherein continued lateral movement of the trigger into the housing subsequently releases the bias against the bow spring, permitting the bow spring to unbend and retract the puncturing tip to the retracted position.

18. A lancet device as in claim 17, wherein the trigger is maintained within the housing upon lateral movement of the trigger into the housing to a position in which the bias against the bow spring is released.

19. A lancet device as in claim 15, wherein the trigger is pivotable with respect to the housing, and wherein lateral movement of the trigger into the housing comprises pivoting the trigger with respect to the housing.

20. A lancet device as in claim 15, wherein the trigger comprises a cam surface for camming engagement with the bow spring for biasing the bow spring from the first state to the second state.

21. A lancet device as in claim 15, wherein the trigger is releasably maintained in a first position with at least a portion of the trigger extending laterally out of the housing through a connection which fractures upon lateral movement of the trigger into the housing.

22. A lancet device as in claim 21, wherein the lancet structure and the trigger are integrally molded as a single structure for assembly with the housing such that the bow spring is maintained within the housing with the puncturing tip extending toward the forward end and the trigger extends laterally from the housing out of the interior cavity of the housing and is connected to the bow spring through a connection which fractures.

23. The lancet device of claim 22, further comprising a cover integrally molded over the puncturing tip of the lancet structure.

24. A method of assembling a lancet device comprising:

providing a housing defining an interior cavity and including a substantially closed forward end with an opening extending therethrough;

providing a lancet structure comprising a bow spring having a puncturing tip extending therefrom and a trigger integrally molded thereto through a fracturable connection;

inserting the lancet structure into the interior cavity such that the bow spring is maintained within the interior cavity with the puncturing tip directed toward the forward end of the housing and with the trigger extending laterally from the housing; and

fixing the trigger to the housing in a manner so as to provide for lateral movement into the housing upon fracturing of the fracturable connection.

25. A method as in claim 24, wherein the fixing step comprises connecting the trigger to the housing through a pivotal engagement so as to provide for pivoting movement of the trigger into the housing.

26. A method as in claim 25, wherein the fixing step further comprises closing a portion of the housing so as to fix a portion of the trigger to the housing.

27. A method as in claim 24, wherein the lancet providing step further comprises providing a cover integrally molded over the puncturing tip of the lancet structure, and the inserting step further comprises inserting the cover through the opening in the forward end of the housing.

28. A method as in claim 24, wherein the lancet providing step further comprises providing a support structure extending between the bow spring and the trigger, and the method further comprises a step of removing the support structure prior to the inserting step.

29. A method of actuating a lancet device comprising:

providing a lancet device comprising a housing including a bow spring maintained within an interior cavity thereof, the bow spring comprising a lancet structure having a puncturing tip extending toward an opening through the forward end of the housing, the lancet device further comprising a trigger extending laterally from the housing; and

laterally moving the trigger into the housing so as to bias the bow spring from a first state to a second state, thereby bending the bow spring and extending the puncturing tip through the opening in the forward end of the housing to achieve a puncturing position.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the first state of the bow spring is its natural state, and wherein the laterally moving step comprises biasing the bow spring against its natural state.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the laterally moving step comprises pivoting the trigger with respect to the housing.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the lancet structure comprises a body extending from one side of an apex of the bow spring, and wherein the laterally moving step comprises contacting a surface of the trigger with an opposing side of the apex of the bow spring to bias the bow spring away from the first state, thereby extending the lancet structure to the puncturing position.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising a locking step comprising locking the trigger within the housing after the laterally moving step.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the lancet device further comprises a cover integrally molded with the lancet structure, and wherein the method further comprises a step of removing the cover prior to the laterally moving step.