Blood expression device

• US 7,775,990 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: DeHart, Damon
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUONG Q
• Application Number:
  US10/974,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20060089566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,120 Days
• Field of Search: 600/573, 600/576, 600/583, 600/584, 606/181, 606/182
• US Class Current: 600/583
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150114 by tissue compression, e.g. with specially designed surface of device contacting the skin area to be pierced
• 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 5/15123 comprising magnets or solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15142 Devices intended for single use, i.e. disposable

Abstract

A device for expressing blood from a wound site formed in dermal tissue is constructed, in one embodiment, in the shape of a cap which can be removably mounted onto a lancing instrument. The blood expression device includes an annular support member and a plurality of movable fingers integrally formed onto the support member in a spaced apart relationship, the free ends of the plurality of fingers together defining a generally circular opening. Each finger is adapted for pivotal displacement in such a manner that its free end projects into the circular opening. In use, the free ends of the plurality of fingers are disposed in contact against the dermal tissue immediately surrounding the wound site. As the device is urged downward onto the dermal tissue, the free ends of the plurality of fingers collapse inward and pinch into the dermal tissue so as to create a uniform ring of pressure around the wound site which, in turn, results in the expression of blood.

Claims

1. A device for expressing blood from dermal tissue after lancing, the device consisting of:

(a) a support member, and

(b) a plurality of movable fingers spaced apart from one another by a narrow slot, each movable finger comprising a vertical component and a radial component and a pivot therebetween, wherein each narrow slot between adjacent fingers has a same width along an entire length of the narrow slot;

wherein the support member is in the form of an annular band which includes a top surface, a bottom surface, an inner surface, and an outer surface;

wherein the vertical component of each moveable finger has an inner surface and an essentially planar outwardly oriented surface, both surfaces extending from the bottom surface parallel each other, the vertical component having a first edge attached to the bottom surface of the support member and a second edge distal to the first edge;

wherein the radial component defines an essentially planar outwardly oriented surface having a first edge and a free end, the radial component extending at an acute angle from the second edge of the vertical component to form the pivot between the second edge of the vertical component and the first edge of the radial component,

wherein the free ends of the radial components of the plurality of movable fingers form an acute angle with a common planar surface and at least partially define a generally circular opening; and

wherein the free ends of the radial components of the plurality of movable fingers together are configured and arranged to constrict the size of the generally circular opening with uniform force when the free ends and at least a portion proximal the free ends of the essentially planar outwardly oriented surface of the radial components of the plurality of movable fingers are configured to be pressed against the dermal tissue and rotated about the pivot with said force adequate to express blood from said dermal tissue without need to urge said support directly against said dermal tissue.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each finger is capable of independent movement relative to the remaining movable fingers.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vertical component of each of the plurality of movable fingers is integrally formed onto the bottom surface of the support member.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each movable finger is capable of movement such that its radial component rotates around the pivot upward towards the support member and inward into the opening.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each movable finger tapers gradually inward in width from the second edge of the vertical component to the free end of the radial component.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of movable fingers comprises at least eight movable fingers.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner and outer surfaces of the annular support member form an annular band with a diameter at the bottom surface equaling the diameter at the top surface.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the essentially planar outwardly oriented surface of the vertical component of each movable finger form a circumference that is less than a circumference of the outer surface of the annular support member.