Lancing device having a releasable connector

Surgery – Instruments – Cutting – puncturing or piercing

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C128S126100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06197040

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lancing device to pierce the skin to obtain a blood sample; more particularly, a lancing device that has a shortened stroke for ejecting the lancet after lancing.
2. Background of the Related Art
Lancing devices are an unfortunate fact of life for the millions of people with diabetes who must test their blood glucose levels up to five or more times each day. They typically use the devices to draw a drop of blood from a finger, apply the blood to a disposable strip, and measure the blood glucose concentration in a meter. Obvious goals of such lancing devices are to provide an adequate sample of blood with minimal pain, inconvenience, and cost to the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,856, issued on Mar. 12, 1985 to Cornell et al., discloses a lancet device that has a tubular housing, a slidable lancet holder in the housing and a compressible spring that provides the force to move the holder linearly to a skin piercing position, after which it goes back to a neutral position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,561, issued on Jul. 9, 1985 to Burns, discloses a lancet assembly that includes a second spring for retracting the lancet holder after the lancet has penetrated the user's skin (see also U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,535,769 and 4,553,541).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,147, issued on Jan. 23, 1990 to Bodicky et al., discloses a lancet device that includes a penetration depth selector and a mechanism for creating a vacuum after the skin has been pierced to assist in drawing blood from the puncture site.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,724, issued on Dec. 11, 1990 to Nieto et al., discloses a lancet device that includes a mechanism that permits the user to eject a used lancet without touching it.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,584, issued on Jun. 7, 1994 to Lange et al., discloses a lancet device that includes a rotary/sliding transmission system that permits a puncture to be made with less pain.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a lancing device for withdrawing a blood sample. It comprises a generally elongate housing having a cap with a through hole at a forward end and a closure at a back end, opposite the forward end, and containing
(a) a lancet holder, slidably mounted within the housing,
(b) a first spring for urging the holder forward, having a first end that bears on the housing and a second end that bears on the holder,
(c) a slider, slidably mounted in a wall of the housing, comprising
(i) a projection outside the wall and
(ii) a pushing means, reversibly engageable with the holder, to push the holder back into a cocked position and to push a lancet forward from the device,
(d) a second spring for urging the holder back, having a first end that bears on the holder and a second end that bears on the slider,
(e) a button, movable between a first position in which the holder is restrained when the device is cocked and a second position in which the restraint is removed, permitting the first spring to thrust the holder forward, and
(f) a releasable connector mounted within the housing for immobilizing the holder when the slider is moved forward to eject the lancet from the device.
Several advantages result from the releasable connector of the present lancing device. First, it permits the cocking and ejecting mechanisms not to be directly linked, permitting a shortened stroke. A shorter stroke facilitates one-handed operation of the device. In addition, a shorter stroke permits a shorter slot for the slider travel. By using a shorter slot, it is possible to provide the slot with a covering to prevent infiltration of debris, without the covering interfering with the actuator during ejection of the lancet.
Another advantage of the releasable connector is that it creates interference between the slider and the housing during lancet ejection, which provides friction feedback to let the user know that the device is in the ejection mode. The interference also eliminates the need for a return spring to provide tension for the slider. If there were no interference, the slider would be (undesirably) free to move around.
Still another advantage of the releasable connector is to prevent the slider from moving forward unintentionally when the cap is removed. Instead, the slider is forced forward against a stop on the connector by the second (retraction) spring. The connector thereby permits the cap to be removed and refastened without interference from the slider.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4503856 (1985-03-01), Cornell et al.
patent: 4527561 (1985-07-01), Burns
patent: 4535769 (1985-08-01), Burns
patent: 4553541 (1985-11-01), Burns
patent: 4735203 (1988-04-01), Ryder et al.
patent: 4892097 (1990-01-01), Ranalletta et al.
patent: 4895147 (1990-01-01), Bodicky et al.
patent: 4976724 (1990-12-01), Nieto et al.
patent: 5318584 (1994-06-01), Lange et al.
patent: 5350392 (1994-09-01), Purcell et al.
patent: 5356420 (1994-10-01), Czernecki et al.
patent: 5423847 (1995-06-01), Strong et al.
patent: 5487748 (1996-01-01), Marshall et al.
patent: 5628764 (1997-05-01), Schraga
patent: 5741288 (1998-04-01), Rife
patent: 5871494 (1999-02-01), Simons et al.
patent: 6045567 (2000-04-01), Taylor et al.

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