Push-to-charge lancing device

Inventors

HELLER, Kathleen

Assignees

Facet Technologies LLC

Abstract

A lancing device having improved charging features is disclosed. In one example embodiment, the charging mechanism generally includes a user actuated portion or charging member and a cam feature for engagement therewith. The charging member includes a finger projection or boss and the cam feature includes a ramped surface. Actuating the charging member causes the finger projection to movably engage the ramp surface of the cam feature and charge the drive mechanism.

Core Innovation

A push-to-charge lancing device includes a housing with a lancet carrier that translates along a lengthwise axis between a neutral position and a charged position. A charging mechanism includes an actuator having an outwardly directed user interface portion and an inwardly directed projection, with the actuator pivotally mounted to the housing at its first end. By pushing the outwardly directed user interface portion toward the interior of the housing, the actuator pivots about its first end and the inwardly directed projection directly engages the lancet carrier so the lancet carrier translates toward the charged position.

The inwardly directed projection directly engages a ramped cam-follower surface on the lancet carrier, and the ramped surface is curved in reusable configurations. In some configurations, the actuator projection is described as a cam actuator and the carrier surface as a cam-follower surface, including an arcuately curved surface for the cam-follower surface. The actuator pivots about a first axis that is transverse to the lengthwise axis of the lancing device, with corresponding fixed-location relationships in reusable configurations.

A lock-and-release mechanism includes an annular structure having a release button, a locking bore, and at least one biasing finger. The release button extends transversely and outwardly from a first exterior surface along a first half portion and the at least one biasing finger extends angularly and outwardly from a second exterior surface along a second half portion. The locking bore engages a locking protrusion member on the lancet carrier as the lancet carrier translates toward the charged position, and the lancet carrier is locked in the charged position when the locking protrusion member is engaged in the locking bore.

The lancet carrier is released from the charged position when the release button is pressed into the housing causing the locking bore to disengage from the locking protrusion member. The at least one biasing finger biases the lock-and-release mechanism against the lancet carrier, and the release button may comprise an opening for receiving at least a portion of the lancet carrier and releasably locking the lancet carrier in the charged state.

Claims Coverage

The consolidated content includes three independent claims centered on a reusable or push-to-charge lancing device with a translating lancet carrier, a pivoting charging mechanism that engages a ramped or curved follower surface on the lancet carrier, and a locking mechanism that releasably retains a charged state until a release button is actuated.

Across the independent claims, the main coverage is directed to a translating lancet carrier that is releasably locked in a charged position by a locking bore or bore and release button arrangement, a charging mechanism driven by a user-interface-actuated pivoting actuator or actuation lever that directly engages a ramped, curved, or arcuately curved follower surface on the lancet carrier, and defined geometric constraints including a pivot axis transverse to the carrier translation axis and fixed-relative positioning of the follower and/or ramped surface relative to the carrier during retraction.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications