Lancet assembly

• US 4,990,154 A
• Filed: 06/19/1989
• Issued: 02/05/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Miles, Inc. (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Miles, Inc. (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Taylor, William, Whitson, Robert, Kheiri, Mohammad, Brown, Michael K., Purcell, D. Glenn
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cofsky, Lynda M.
• Application Number:
  US07/367,862
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 606/181, 606/182, 606/183, 606/167
• US Class Current: 606/182
• 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 5/150435 Specific design of proximal end
• 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 5/150633 Protective sleeves which are axially extensible, e.g. sleeves connected to, or integrated in, the piercing or driving device; pivotable protective sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150717 manually removed
• 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 5/15142 Devices intended for single use, i.e. disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15186 Devices loaded with a single lancet, i.e. a single lancet with or without a casing is loaded into a reusable drive device and then discarded after use; drive devices reloadable for multiple use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1519 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for propelling the piercing unit

Abstract

A lancet assembly includes a reusable base unit that defines a handle for a lancet assembly and houses a biasing mechanism for driving a lancet into the finger of a user. The base unit includes a spring biased hammer that once cocked, can be released to drive a lancet. A lancet is included in a disposable end cap that may be releasible attached to one end of the base unit. The end cap includes integral resilience spring fingers that maintain the lancet completely within the end cap before and after use, and functions to return the lancet after engagement of the lancet and hammer. The end cap can be rotated to orient the end cap relative to a user'"'"'s finger to control the depth of penetration of the lancet into the user'"'"'s finger.

Claims

1. A lancet assembly comprising:

a base unit providing a handle for said lancet assembly,

a disposable end cap releasably attachable to said base unit,

a lancet mounted in and entirely contained within said end cap,

a hammer member mounted in said base unit for engaging and driving said lancet in said end cap, and

a lancet return member located within said end cap for moving the entire lancet totally within said end cap after said lancet is driven by said hammer.

2. The lancet assembly set forth in claim 1, wherein said base unit includes a first biasing member mounted in said base unit for engaging and driving said hammer into said lancet.

3. The lancet assembly set forth in claim 1 wherein said end cap includes a closed end with an elongated slot through which said lancet extends upon engagement of said hammer member with said lancet, said end cap being rotatable mounted on said base unit to orient said elongated slot and control the engagement of said lancet with a finger of a user of said lancet assembly.

4. The lancet assembly set forth in claim 1 wherein said lancet return member comprises a second biasing member for biasing said lancet inside said end cap such that said lancet is completely contained in said end cap prior to, during and after attachment to said base unit.

5. The lancet assembly set forth in claim 1 further comprising a flange on the exterior of said end cap for engagement by a user of said lancet assembly to remove said end cap from said base unit.

6. The lancet assembly set forth in claim 1 wherein said lancet includes a collar, and indexing structure on said collar and a corresponding structure in said end cap wherein the interaction of said indexing structure and said corresponding structure allows said lancet to move with said end cap upon rotation of said end cap relative to said base unit.

7. The lancet assembly set forth in claim 1 wherein said base unit and said end cap are fabricated of polyethylene.

8. An assembly for piercing skin to obtain a blood specimen, comprising:

a reusable base member housing a driving member, said driving member being a hammer,

a disposable end cap, said end cap including a first end adapted for releasable attachment to said base member,

a lancet mounted in said end cap for engagement by said driving member after attachment of said end cap to said base member, and

a resilient element in said end cap for biasing said lancet completely within said end cap when said lancet is not engaged by said driving member.

9. The assembly claimed in claim 8 wherein said end cap includes a second end, a diagonal slot in said second end, wherein the orientation of said slot on the skin of a user defines the depth of penetration of said lancet into the skin of a user.

10. The assembly claimed in claim 8 wherein said lancet includes a skin piercing end, an anvil end for engagement by said hammer, and an orienting member for mating with the inside of said end cap to orient said lancet in said end cap and to prevent rotation of said lancet relative to said end cap.