LANCET DEVICE

• US 20090036915A1
• Filed: 04/07/2006
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Karbowniczek, Jacek Grzegorz, Rutynowski, Wlodzimierz
• Granted Patent: US 8,333,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/182
• 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 5/150564 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 5/150908 by disconnecting components, e.g. breaking or rupturing of connected parts, e.g. piston and rod
• 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 5/15113 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 5/1513 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

The lancet device includes a housing and a lancet having a puncturing element. The lancet is disposed within the housing and is adapted for axial movement between an initial 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 opening in the housing. The lancet device includes a drive spring disposed within the housing for biasing the lancet toward the puncturing position, and a retraction or return spring for returning the lancet to a position within the housing where the puncturing element is disposed within the housing. The retraction spring thereafter maintains engagement with the lancet to assist in preventing the puncturing element from again projecting outward from the forward opening in the housing.

Claims

1. A lancet device, comprising:

a housing;

a shield at least partially disposed within the housing and movably associated therewith;

a lancet disposed in the housing and axially movable through the shield and comprising a puncturing element, the lancet adapted for axial movement between an initial position wherein the puncturing element is disposed within the housing and a puncturing position wherein the puncturing element extends through a forward opening in the shield for a puncturing procedure;

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

an actuator associated with the shield and in interference engagement with the lancet in the initial position;

wherein axial movement of the shield into the housing causes the actuator to move the lancet toward and contact the rearward end of the housing to at least partially compress the drive spring, and wherein upon contact with the rearward end of the housing the force applied to retract the shield into the housing causes failure of the interference engagement between the actuator and the lancet thereby releasing the at least partially compressed drive spring and permitting the drive spring to bias the lancet through the shield to the puncturing position.

2. The lancet device of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a slide element associated with a proximal end of the shield, the slide element comprising at least one breakable shelf providing the interference engagement with the lancet.

3. A lancet device, comprising

a housing;

a shield at least partially disposed within the housing and movably associated therewith, the shield comprising at least one internal tab;

a lancet disposed in the housing and axially movable through the shield and comprising a puncturing element, the lancet adapted for axial movement between an initial position wherein the puncturing element is disposed within the housing and a puncturing position wherein the puncturing element extends through a forward opening in the shield for a puncturing procedure, the lancet in interference engagement with the internal tab in the shield in the initial position; and

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

wherein axial movement of the shield into the housing causes the lancet to move toward and contact the rearward end of the housing due to the interference engagement with the shield internal tab to at least partially compress the drive spring, and wherein upon contact with the rearward end of the housing the force applied to retract the shield into the housing causes failure of the internal tab removing the interference engagement and releasing the at least partially compressed drive spring to bias the lancet through the shield to the puncturing position.

4. The lancet device of claim 3, wherein the lancet comprises a cutting element providing the interference engagement with the internal tab, and wherein failure of the internal tab is caused by the cutting element cutting through the internal tab.

5. A lancet device, comprising:

a housing;

a shield at least partially disposed within the housing and movably associated therewith;

a lancet disposed in the housing and axially movable through the shield and comprising a puncturing element, the lancet adapted for axial movement between an initial position wherein the puncturing element is disposed within the housing and a puncturing position wherein the puncturing element extends through a forward opening in the shield for a puncturing procedure;

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

an actuator in interference engagement with the lancet in the initial position and maintaining the drive spring in an at least partially compressed state in the initial position of the lancet, the actuator comprising a sleeve portion associated with the housing and at least one elastic element in interference engagement with the lancet;

wherein axial movement of the shield into the housing causes the shield to move the elastic element radially outward from the lancet releasing the interference engagement therewith and thereby releasing the at least partially compressed drive spring to bias the lancet through the shield to the puncturing position.

6. The lancet device of claim 5, wherein the sleeve portion and elastic element are formed integrally and connected by a living hinge.

7. A lancet device, comprising:

a housing;

a lancet disposed in the housing and axially movable through the housing and comprising a puncturing element, the lancet adapted for axial movement between an initial position wherein the puncturing element is disposed within the housing and a puncturing position wherein the puncturing element extends through a front opening in the housing for a puncturing procedure;

a drive spring disposed between a rearward end of the housing and the lancet for biasing the lancet to the puncturing position, the drive spring held in an at least partially compressed state between the rearward end of the housing and the lancet by an interference engagement between the lancet and housing; and

an actuator pivotally connected to the housing and in contact engagement with the lancet in the initial position for causing release of the drive spring;

wherein movement of the actuator causes pivotal movement thereof into the housing causing at least a portion of the lancet to move downward in the housing until the lancet is released of interference engagement with the housing thereby releasing the at least partially compressed drive spring to bias the lancet through the housing to the puncturing position.

8. The lancet device of claim 7, wherein the lancet comprises at least one outward-extending guide tab and the housing defines an internal guide channel comprising a longitudinal main channel and a generally transverse side channel, and wherein the interference engagement comprises the guide tab engaging the intersection of the main channel and side channel.

9. A lancet device, comprising:

a housing comprising an internal cam surface at a rearward end thereof;

a shield at least partially disposed within the housing and movably associated therewith;

a lancet disposed in the housing and axially movable through the shield and comprising a puncturing element, the lancet adapted for axial movement between an initial position wherein the puncturing element is disposed within the housing and a puncturing position wherein the puncturing element extends through a forward opening in the shield for a puncturing procedure;

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

an actuator associated with a proximal end of the shield disposed in the housing, and in interference engagement with the lancet in the initial position thereof;

wherein axial movement of the shield into the housing causes the actuator to move the lancet toward the rearward end of the housing to at least partially compress the drive spring while simultaneously interacting with the internal cam surface, and wherein continued interaction with the internal cam surface during the shield axial movement moves the actuator to a position within the housing where the interference engagement between the actuator and the lancet is released, thereby releasing the at least partially compressed drive spring and permitting the drive spring to bias the lancet through the shield to the puncturing position.

10. The lancet device of claim 10, wherein the actuator comprises a plate member slidably associated with the shield proximal end and defining a keyhole for permitting passage of the lancet therethrough to release the interference engagement.

11. A lancet device, comprising:

a housing;

a lancet disposed in the housing and axially movable through the housing and comprising a puncturing element, the lancet adapted for axial movement between an initial position wherein the puncturing element is disposed within the housing and a puncturing position wherein the puncturing element extends through a front opening in the housing for a puncturing procedure;

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

an actuator associated with the housing and in interference engagement with the lancet in the initial position, the interference engagement between actuator and lancet maintaining the drive spring in an at least partially compressed state between the rearward end of the housing and the lancet in the initial position;

wherein movement of the actuator into the housing moves the actuator to a position within the housing where the interference engagement between the actuator and the lancet is released, thereby releasing the at least partially compressed drive spring and permitting the drive spring to bias the lancet through the shield to the puncturing position.

12. The lancet device of claim 11, wherein the actuator comprises a lever member pivotally connected to the housing and a plate member depending into the housing, the plate member defining a keyhole for permitting passage of the lancet therethrough to release the interference engagement.

13. The lancet device of claim 11, wherein the actuator comprises a depressible button associated with the housing and a plate member depending into the housing, the plate member defining a keyhole for permitting passage of the lancet therethrough to release the interference engagement.

14. A lancet device, comprising:

a housing;

a lancet disposed in the housing and axially movable through the housing and comprising a puncturing element, the lancet adapted for axial movement between an initial position wherein the puncturing element is disposed within the housing and a puncturing position wherein the puncturing element extends through a front opening in the housing for a puncturing procedure;

a drive spring disposed between a rearward end of the housing and the lancet for biasing the lancet to the puncturing position, the drive spring held in an at least partially compressed state between the rearward end of the housing and the lancet by an interference engagement between the lancet and housing; and

an actuator pivotally connected to the housing and adapted to sever the interference engagement between the lancet and housing for causing release of the drive spring;

wherein movement of the actuator causes pivotal movement thereof into the housing until the actuator severs the interference engagement between the lancet and housing thereby releasing the at least partially compressed drive spring to bias the lancet through the housing to the puncturing position.

15. The lancet device of claim 14, wherein the actuator comprises a lever member pivotally connected to the housing and comprising a depending cutting edge for severing the interference engagement between the lancet and housing.

16. A lancet device, comprising:

a housing comprising an internal actuation member;

a shield at least partially disposed within the housing and movably associated therewith;

a lancet disposed in the housing and axially movable through the shield and comprising a puncturing element, the lancet adapted for axial movement between an initial position wherein the puncturing element is disposed within the housing and a puncturing position wherein the puncturing element extends through a forward opening in the shield for a puncturing procedure;

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

a rotation element, the lancet in interference engagement with the rotation element in the initial position;

wherein axial movement of the shield into the housing causes the actuation member to rotate the rotation element relative to the lancet to a release position releasing the interference engagement between the lancet and rotation element thereby permitting the drive spring to bias the lancet through the shield to the puncturing position.

17. The lancet device of claim 16, wherein the rotation element is associated with the shield such that the axial movement of the shield into the housing causes the drive spring to at least partially compress between the housing rearward end and lancet due to the interference engagement between the lancet and rotation element.

18. The lancet device of claim 17, wherein the rotation element is associated with a rearward end of the shield disposed in the housing.

19. The lancet device of claim 16, wherein the actuating member comprises a cam element with a cam surface and the rotation element comprises a guide plate defining a cam guide recess for receiving the cam element, and wherein the axial movement of the shield into the housing causes the cam surface to engage the cam guide recess an impart rotational motion to the guide plate.

20. The lancet device of claim 19, wherein the lancet comprises an actuation tab in interference engagement with the guide plate.

21. The lancet device of claim 20, wherein the guide plate defines a clearance slot, and the interference engagement is released when the guide plate rotates to the release position where the actuation tab aligns with the clearance slot.

22. The lancet device of claim 16, wherein the actuating member comprises a cam element with a cam surface and the rotation element comprises a cam follower, and wherein the axial movement of the shield into the housing causes the cam surface to engage the cam follower an impart rotational motion thereto at least until the cam follower reaches the release position.