Lancing device with automatic stick and return

• US 6,929,649 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2002
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Lifescan Incorporated (Duv Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Pugh, Jerry T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Julian W.
• Application Number:
  US10/131,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20030199912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 606/181, 606/182, 606/185, 606/188, 606/171, 600/583, 604/164, 604/164.12
• US Class Current: 606/182
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• 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 5/15128 comprising 2D- or 3D-shaped elements, e.g. cams, curved guide rails or threads comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1519 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 with automatic stick and lance return features is disclosed. A drive mechanism within the unit comprises a slider-crank linkage combination. It is biased by a spring member to cause automatic firing once a crank member advanced by a user causes movement of an internal linkage member beyond its fully-cocked position. After firing, the lance is withdrawn so as not to pose a threat of secondary injury to the user. In use, the device is substantially silent though its course of operation. Yet, its configuration lends itself to producing a very quick, virtually painless stick with minimal recoil or shock to the device.

Claims

1. A lancing apparatus comprising:

a housing, a crank member rotably attached to said housing at a first pivot location and a coupler rotably attached to said crank at a second pivot location, and a lance-carrying structure at a third pivot location, said lance-carrying structure being confined to a linear path relative to said housing,

wherein a spring attached to said housing is positioned to force firing of said lance-carrying structure and return said lance-carrying structure to a retracted position, and

wherein said lancing apparatus is configured to be cocked for firing by rotation of said crank about said first pivot location in the same direction said crank rotates to fire said lance-carrying structure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said lance-carrying mechanism comprises a lance.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said lance-carrying mechanism comprises a lance and a lance shuttle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said spring is an extension spring.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first end of said spring is attached at said second pivot location.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said spring is and extension spring.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein a second end of said spring is attached to said housing so as to only partially retract said lance-carrying structure.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a ratchet combination configured to advance said crank member past a cocked position and allow substantially unrestricted firing of said lance-carrying structure.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a clutch to only permit one-way rotation of said crank member.

18. A method of actuating a lancing device, said method comprising:

providing a lancing apparatus according to claim 1 or 10, wherein said lancing apparatus further comprises an actuator;

turning said crank member in a single direction from an uncocked position, to a cocked position and beyond said cocked position,

wherein firing said lance-carrying structure results from the turning of said crank beyond said cocked position.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said lancing apparatus further comprises an actuator and said method further comprises:

moving said actuator to turn said crank member.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said lancing apparatus further comprises a ratchet combination and said method further comprises:

engaging said ratchet combination to cock said lancing apparatus, and

overrunning said combination in firing said lance-carrying structure.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

forming a lance stick in a user by said firing said lance-carrying structure.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

applying a blood sample formed at said lance stick to a test strip.

10. A lancing apparatus comprising:

a housing,

a crank member rotably attached to said housing at a first pivot location,

a coupler rotably attached to a lance-carrying structure at a second pivot location, said lance-carrying structure being confined to a straight-line path, and

a spring attached between said housing and said second pivot location, wherein said spring is positioned to force firing of said lance-carrying structure upon passing an unstable equilibrium state and return said lance-carrying structure to a retracted position.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said lance-carrying structure comprises a lance.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said lance-carrying structure comprises a lance and a lance shuttle.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said spring is an extension spring.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said spring is attached to said housing so as to only partially retract said lance-carrying structure.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a ratchet combination configured to rotate said crank member about said first pivot location in a direction past a cocked position and allow substantially unrestricted firing of said lance-carrying structure is the same direction.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a clutch to only permit one-way rotation of said crank member.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said return of said lance-carrying structure results in a stable equilibrium state.