Lancing device with tethered depth-control mechanism

• US 8,512,366 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Facet Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Facet Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Robbins, Avi M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SEVERSON, RYAN J
• Application Number:
  US13/082,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20110313438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 600/564, 600/566, 600/567, 600/583, 606/167, 606/170, 606/172, 606/173, 606181-183, 606/185
• US Class Current: 606/181
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• 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 5/150473 Double-ended needles, e.g. used with pre-evacuated sampling tubes 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 5/15186 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
• 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 having a housing with a proximal end, a distal end and a longitudinal axis. The lancing device also has a lancet carrier translatably supported with respect to the housing. The lancet carrier has a proximal end and a distal end. The lancing device additionally has a depth-control mechanism with a positioning tab adapted to engage the housing, and a tether secured with respect to the positioning tab and the lancet carrier.

Claims

1. A depth-control mechanism for a lancing device comprising a drive-mechanism-driven lancet carrier translatably secured within a housing, the depth-control mechanism comprising:

an engagement body, the engagement body adapted to repositionably engage along the housing; and

a tether adapted to be connected between the engagement body and the lancet carrier, the tether is adapted to transition between a retracted state and an extended state;

wherein the depth-control mechanism is adapted to control the distance the lancet carrier is driven with respect to the housing by operatively advancing and retracting the engagement body translationally along the housing.

2. The depth-control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the tether comprises at least two pivotal links.

3. The depth-control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the tether comprises a first member pivotally connected with respect to the lancet carrier and a second member pivotally connected with respect to the engagement body.

4. The depth-control member of claim 3, wherein the first member is pivotally connected with respect to the second member.

5. The depth-control member of claim 4, wherein the first member and the second member are adapted to pivot horizontally with respect to the lancet carrier.

6. The depth-control member of claim 1, wherein the tether comprises a length of flexible material.

7. The depth-control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the engagement body is a positioning tab longitudinally repositionable with respect to the housing.

8. The depth-control mechanism of claim 7, wherein the tether comprises a first link adapted to be pivotally connected to the lancet carrier and a second link pivotally connected to the positioning tab, the first and second links being pivotally connected to one another.

9. The depth-control mechanism of claim 7, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of position settings for positioning the positioning tab.

10. A depth-control mechanism for a lancing device comprising a drive-mechanism-driven lancet carrier translatably secured within a housing, the depth-control mechanism comprising:

an engagement body, the engagement body adapted to repositionably engage along the housing; and

a joint comprising a first member pivotally connected with respect to the engagement body and a second member adapted to be pivotally connected with respect to the lancet carrier, the first member being pivotally connected to the second member;

wherein the depth-control mechanism is adapted to control the distance the lancet carrier is driven with respect to the housing by operatively advancing and retracting the engagement body translationally along the housing.

11. The depth-control mechanism of claim 10, wherein the engagement body is a positioning tab longitudinally repositionable with respect to the housing.

12. The depth-control mechanism of claim 11, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of position settings for positioning the positioning tab.

13. A depth-control mechanism for a lancing device comprising a drive-mechanism-driven lancet carrier translatably mounted within a housing, the depth-control mechanism comprising:

positioning tab longitudinally repositionable with respect to the housing; and

a tether adapted to be connected between the positioning tab and the lancet carrier, wherein the tether is adapted to transition between a retracted state and an extended state; and

wherein the depth-control mechanism is adapted to control the distance the lancet carrier is driven with respect to the housing, by operatively advancing and retracting the positioning tab translationally along the housing.

14. The depth-control mechanism of claim 13, wherein the tether comprises a plurality of pivotally connected links.

15. The depth-control mechanism of claim 13, wherein the tether comprises a length of flexible material.

16. The depth-control mechanism of claim 13, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of position settings for positioning the positioning tab.