Adjustable lancing devices and methods
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A lancing device, comprising:
- a housing having a user-engaging end that defines a piercing aperture therethrough;
a lancet having a needle terminating in a sharp tip, a body from which the needle extends and a sleeve directly coupled to the body and moveable relative to the needle when the lancet is in the housing, wherein the sleeve is in a locked position encasing the sharp tip of the needle when the lancet is external to the housing; and
a user-controlled actuator operative to hold the sleeve stationary, independently of the needle, when the lancet is disposed within the housing, in at least a forward position in which the sleeve obstructs a portion of the piercing aperture before, during and after the sharp tip projects from within the housing to external the housing and a rearward position in which the sleeve is a spaced distance from the piercing aperture before, during and after the sharp tip projects from within the housing to external the housing.
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Abstract
Lancing devices and methods of use are provided. Also provided are lancets for use with lancing devices. Certain embodiments of the lancing devices include a front end cap with an annular skin-engaging surface surrounding a piercing aperture.
67 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A lancing device, comprising:
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a housing having a user-engaging end that defines a piercing aperture therethrough; a lancet having a needle terminating in a sharp tip, a body from which the needle extends and a sleeve directly coupled to the body and moveable relative to the needle when the lancet is in the housing, wherein the sleeve is in a locked position encasing the sharp tip of the needle when the lancet is external to the housing; and a user-controlled actuator operative to hold the sleeve stationary, independently of the needle, when the lancet is disposed within the housing, in at least a forward position in which the sleeve obstructs a portion of the piercing aperture before, during and after the sharp tip projects from within the housing to external the housing and a rearward position in which the sleeve is a spaced distance from the piercing aperture before, during and after the sharp tip projects from within the housing to external the housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A lancing device comprising:
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a housing having a user-engaging end that defines a piercing aperture therethrough; a lancet having a needle terminating in a sharp tip for incision in a user'"'"'s skin, a body from which the needle extends and a sleeve directly coupled to the body and movable relative to the body when the lancet is in the housing, wherein the sleeve is in a locked position encasing the sharp tip of the needle when the lancet is external to the housing; an actuator having a control member accessible by a user outside the housing and a sleeve-engagement portion operatively coupled to the control member and disposed within the housing;
the sleeve-engagement portion responsive to movement of the control member to directly engage the sleeve when the lancet is within the housing and move the sleeve to one of a forward position and a rearward position, the rearward position holding the sleeve a spaced distance from the piercing aperture and the forward position holding the sleeve within the piercing aperture to effectively reduce a size of the piercing aperture; anda cocking and firing mechanism within the housing, wherein the actuator is configured so that the sleeve-engagement portion and the sleeve remain stationary relative to the user-engaging end of the housing when the cocking and firing mechanism moves the needle forward and rearward during incision. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for using a lancing device having a skin-engaging surface that defines a piercing aperture therethrough, comprising:
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Inserting inside the lancing device a lancet having a needle terminating in a sharp tip, a body from which the needle extends and a sleeve directly coupled to the body and movable relative to the body after the lancet is inserted inside the housing, wherein the sleeve is in a locked position encasing the sharp tip of the needle prior to inserting the lancet; setting an effective size of the piercing aperture to one of a first diameter configured to allow a user'"'"'s skin to pucker into the piercing aperture and a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter; and incising the user'"'"'s skin with the lancet while the effective size of the piercing aperture is set at one of the first diameter and the second diameter. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification