Skin penetration device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9603563-B2
Application number	US-201214110526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2012
Priority date	Apr 8, 2011
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A lancing device includes a housing ( 10, 12 ) and a lancet holder movably mounted within the housing. The lancet holder has a forward portion defining a socket ( 30 ) for partially surrounding and retaining in use the rear portion of a lancet. A lancet release element ( 40, 42 ) can be moved forward to cooperate with lugs on the socket to expand it to allow insertion and/or removal of the lancet with minimal insertion or withdrawal force.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lancing device having:
a housing comprising
a main body portion, and
a forward nose portion that is removably attached to the main body portion to allow loading and unloading of a lancet in use;

a lancet holder movably mounted in said housing and having a forward portion for receiving a lancet in use; and
a lancet release element movable among
an intermediate rest position,
a rearward position in which the lancet release element cocks the lancing device in a ready-to-fire position prior to use, and
a forward release position to release the lancet from the lancet holder,

said lancet release element comprising an elongate extension that is exterior to an outer periphery of said lancet holder, wherein forward movement of the elongate extension is prevented by said forward nose portion when said forward nose portion is connected to said main body portion so that forward movement of said lancet release element from the intermediate rest position to the forward release position is prevented by said forward nose portion when the nose portion is connected to said main body, and
wherein said lancet release element is movable from the intermediate rest position to said forward release position only after said forward nose portion is removed from said main body portion, and
wherein said lancet release element is movable longitudinally and wherein a forward end of said elongate extension directly contacts said forward nose portion to prevent the forward movement of said lancet release element when the forward nose portion is connected to said main body portion.

2. The lancing device according to claim 1 , further comprising the lancet, wherein said lancet comprises a movable insertion element disposed in said housing and having a sharp tip and adapted to be inserted into skin of a recipient; and
wherein said forward nose portion comprises a depth penetration arrangement comprising,
a first, relatively fixed portion forming part of or secured to said housing, and
a skin contacting portion being mounted for angular movement about an axis on said relatively fixed portion;

wherein one of the relatively fixed portion and the skin contacting portion has an interrupted cam surface, and the other of said relatively fixed portion and said skin contacting portion has a cam follower adapted to cooperate with said interrupted cam surface,
whereby rotation of said skin contacting portion relative to said fixed portion varies the relative axial position of said skin contacting portion and said fixed portion.

3. The skin penetration device according to claim 2 , wherein said relatively fixed portion and said skin contacting portion include respective detent elements to prevent a detent action at spaced angular positions.

4. The skin penetration device according to claim 2 , wherein a stop surface is associated with said interrupted cam surface to limit rotation of said skin contacting portion relative to said fixed portion.

5. The skin penetration device according to claim 2 , wherein said interrupted cam surface follows a generally helical path with respect to the axis, the cam surface including alternate opposite facing cam face elements together defining a cam track for said cam follower.

6. The skin penetration device according to claim 5 , wherein the cam face elements are of lesser circumferential extent than said cam follower.

7. The skin penetration device according to claim 5 , wherein at least one of the cam surface and said cam follower are resiliently deformable to allow said cam follower to be introduced into said cam track by application of an axial load.

8. The skin penetration device according to claim 5 , wherein said cam follower is provided on said skin contacting portion and said cam track is provided on said relatively fixed portion.

9. The lancing device according to claim 1 , wherein said lancet release element is movable in a direction generally parallel to a lancing direction.

10. The lancing device according to claim 1 , wherein the elongate extension projects forwardly to terminate just rearwardly of a front face of the main body when the lancet release element is in the intermediate rest position.

Assignees

• Hudson Christopher
• Muller Timothy
• Owen Mumford Ltd

Inventors

• Hudson Christopher
• Muller Timothy

Classifications

• A61B5/15117

  comprising biased elements, resilient elements or a spring, e.g. a helical spring, leaf spring, or elastic strap · CPC title

• A61B5/150809

  by audible feedback · CPC title

• A61B5/150412

  Pointed piercing elements, e.g. needles, lancets for piercing the skin (blade-like piercing elements A61B5/150442) · CPC title

• A61B5/150595

  by snap-lock (i.e. based on axial displacement) · CPC title

• A61B5/150503

  Single-ended needles (hollow piercing element tip design A61B5/150396) · CPC title