Latch mechanism for preventing lancet oscillation in a lancing device
Inventors
PUSEY, Lauren R. • Lamps, Greg
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11564603-B2
Publication Date
2023-01-31
Expiration Date
Abstract
A lancing device including a latch that pivots between a non-blocking position allowing a lancet carrier and a lancet to advance and retract through a first forward and reverse lancing stroke and a blocking position preventing further/excess/secondary oscillation of the lancet carrier and lancet. The pivotal latch can pivot about an axis perpendicular (e.g., for an L-shaped latch) or parallel/coaxial (e.g., for a sleeve latch) to the advancement and retraction motion of the lancet carrier and lancet.
Core Innovation
The disclosed invention is a lancing device for use with a disposable lancet having a lancet body and a sharp lancet tip for penetrating skin to obtain a sample of blood or other body fluid for medical testing. The lancing device includes a housing defining a cavity and a lancet carrier positioned within the cavity generally along a driving axis. The lancet carrier is movable in a direction along the driving axis from a retracted position to an extended position, and is held in a neutral position when not in the retracted position or the extended position.
A return spring propels the lancet carrier from the extended position to the neutral position, while a drive spring propels the lancet carrier from the retracted position to the extended position. The invention further includes a removable cap positionable over an end of the housing, and removal of the cap allows access to the cavity to remove and replace the disposable lancet into the lancet holder of the lancet carrier. A unitary member selectively permits ejection of the disposable lancet while the lancet carrier is in the neutral position.
The unitary member comprises an ejection finger and an extension, or in further embodiments a first arm having an ejection portion and a second arm extending closer to the forward end than the first arm. When the cap is positioned over the distal end or coupled at the forward end, the extension or second arm bears against the cap and prevents the ejection portion from contacting and ejecting the disposable lancet. When the cap is not coupled, the ejection member is movable toward the forward end so that the ejection finger or first arm contacts and ejects the disposable lancet from the lancet carrier.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims are clm-00001, clm-00009, and clm-00017. They present three inventive feature sets centered on a lancing device architecture with a housing, a movable lancet carrier along an axis with defined positions, and a cap-coordinated ejection system that is selectively allowed or prevented based on the cap’s position; one claim further includes slide and button control.
Cap-blocked ejection with neutral-position selectivity
A lancing device with a housing defining a cavity; a lancet carrier positioned within the cavity generally along a driving axis and movable from a retracted position to an extended position, with the lancet carrier held in a neutral position when not in the retracted position or the extended position; a return spring configured to propel the lancet carrier from the extended position to the neutral position; a drive spring configured to propel the lancet carrier from the retracted position to the extended position; a removable cap positionable over an end of the housing; and a unitary member configured to selectively permit ejection of the disposable lancet while the lancet carrier is in the neutral position, the unitary member comprising an ejection finger and an extension, wherein the ejection finger extends into the slot of the lancet carrier and is movable distally along the driving axis to push against an end of the disposable lancet opposite of the sharp lancet tip to eject the disposable lancet, and wherein when the cap is positioned over the distal end of the housing, the extension bears against the cap and prevents the ejection finger from moving distally to eject the disposable lancet.
First-arm ejection prevented by cap-contacting second arm
A lancing device defining an axis from a forward end and a rearward end, the lancing device comprising a housing defining a cavity; a removable cap configured to be couplable to the housing to substantially enclose the cavity along the forward end; a lancet carrier configured to receive and temporarily retain a disposable lancet and to move along the axis towards the forward end; and a unitary ejection member including a first arm having an ejection portion and a second arm extending closer to the forward end than the first arm, wherein the ejection portion fits into a slot of the lancet carrier through which the ejection portion is able to contact the disposable lancet, wherein when the cap is coupled to the housing at the forward end the second arm contacts the cap and prevents the first arm from contacting the disposable lancet, and wherein when the cap is not coupled at the forward end the unitary ejection member is movable towards the forward end and the first arm is configured to contact and eject the disposable lancet from the lancet carrier.
Cap-blocked ejection with slide/button-controlled carrier positioning
A lancing device comprising a housing defining a cavity; a lancet carrier positioned within the cavity generally along a driving axis and movable between a retracted position, an extended position where at least the sharp lancet tip projects out from the housing, and a neutral position between the retracted position and the extended position, wherein a slot in the lancet carrier allows access to an end of the disposable lancet opposite of the sharp lancet tip; a return spring configured to propel the lancet carrier from the extended position to the neutral position; a drive spring configured to propel the lancet carrier from the retracted position to the extended position; a removable cap positionable over an end of the housing with removal allowing access to replace the disposable lancet; a unitary member comprising an ejection finger and an extension configured to selectively permit ejection while the lancet carrier is in the neutral position, wherein the ejection finger extends into the slot and is movable distally along the driving axis to push against the end of the disposable lancet opposite of the sharp lancet tip to eject the disposable lancet, and wherein when the cap is positioned over a distal end of the housing the extension bears against the cap and prevents the ejection finger from moving distally; a slide operably connected to the lancet carrier adapted to move the lancet carrier from the neutral position to the retracted position to energize the drive spring; and a button operably connected to the lancet carrier configured to temporarily hold the lancet carrier in the retracted position and, when pressed, to release the lancet carrier and allow the lancet carrier to move from the retracted position to the extended position, thereafter the return spring and the drive spring together hold the lancet carrier in the neutral position unless the slide moves the lancet carrier to the retracted position.
Across clm-00001, clm-00009, and clm-00017, the claim coverage centers on a lancing device with defined lancet carrier positions along a driving axis and spring-driven movement, together with a removable cap that coordinates with a unitary ejection member to selectively permit ejection while preventing ejection when the cap is positioned or coupled. The independent claims distinguish between an ejection finger/extension arrangement and a first-arm/second-arm arrangement, and one independent claim further integrates slide and button control to hold and release the lancet carrier to achieve a neutral-position state.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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