Advancement mechanism for cartridge-based devices
Inventors
KAN, Gil • Collins, Brian M. • Lamps, Gregory
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-9517027-B2
Publication Date
2016-12-13
Expiration Date
Abstract
An advancement mechanism of a lancing device operates to sequentially advance lancets in a cartridge. The advancement mechanism includes a rotary drive gear assembly with a first gear and a second gear that co-rotate in a first angular direction by operation of an inter-gear unidirectional drive mechanism such as a ratcheting mechanism. A second-gear unidirectional lock mechanism, such as a ratcheting mechanism, locks the second drive gear from co-rotating with the first drive gear in a second opposite angular direction without impeding rotation in the first direction. The second gear directly or indirectly rotationally drives a pinion gear, which rotationally drives a cartridge gear to advance the lancets in indexed increments for use. The first drive gear is rotated in the first and second directions by a rack gear of a translating operating handle. In addition, a rotary-gear cap-displacement mechanism and a rotary-gear charging/actuation mechanism are provided in other embodiments.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a medical device and a lancing device that use a rotary cartridge defining a cartridge gear, where an operating handle moves between a retracted position and an extended position. The operating handle includes a grip and a gear, and the handle motion is translational along a translational actuation motion between first and second positions. The device includes an advancement mechanism operable to sequentially advance medical items or lancets for use or dispensing, and the advancement mechanism includes a rotary drive gear assembly with a first rotary gear and a second rotary gear that rotate about a common axis.
A key feature is a rotary drive gear assembly operated by inter-gear unidirectional rotary drive or ratcheting so that the second gear is driven by and rotates with the first gear in a first direction, while co-rotation in the opposite second direction is prevented. The inter-gear unidirectional assembly interconnects the first and second drive gears such that inter-gear catch surfaces defined by catch elements engage to maintain co-rotation in the first angular direction, and at least one of the catch surfaces moves out of engagement when the first gear rotates in the opposite second direction. The disengagement is caused by a disengagement surface or inter-gear ramped surface moving a movable inter-gear pawl or catch element.
The invention further includes a second-gear unidirectional rotary lock assembly that interconnects the first and second drive gears so that the second gear is free to be driven by and co-rotate with the first gear in the first direction but is locked from co-rotation in the opposite second direction. The second-gear unidirectional rotary lock assembly includes lock surfaces, lock surfaces engage to lock the second gear from rotation in the second direction, and a lock-surface disengagement is caused by a ramped surface moving the second-gear pawl. The rotary drive gear assembly drives a pinion output gear, and the pinion output gear rotationally drives the cartridge gear to index-advance the lancets.
The disclosed mechanism can include additional structures including a pinion gear assembly and an idler gear assembly, where the idler gear assembly includes at least one idler gear rotationally driven by the second gear and rotationally drives the pinion output gear. The disclosed rotary charging and actuation concepts can include a rotary-gear cap-displacement mechanism with a rotary lifter gear, a lifting ramp, and a lifter element, and a rotary-gear charging mechanism with a piston guided by a cam surface and a drive spring and a return spring. The document describes structural implementation across embodiments while maintaining the handle-driven unidirectional rotary inter-gear drive and the second-gear unidirectional rotary lock.
Claims Coverage
The partial content includes two independent claims: clm-00001 and clm-00012. Across these independent claims, the core inventive coverage centers on a handle-driven translational actuation that drives a rotary gear train including inter-gear unidirectional ratcheting and a second-gear unidirectional rotary lock to drive a pinion output gear and a cartridge gear for sequential index-advancement.
Rotary cartridge medical device with handle-driven translational actuation
A medical device with a housing and an operating handle movable between retracted and extended positions, where the operating handle includes a grip and a gear and is movable along a translational actuation motion between the first and second positions, and where the device includes an advancement mechanism operable to sequentially advance the medical items for use or dispensing.
Inter-gear unidirectional rotary drive assembly using catch surfaces with disengagement surface
An advancement mechanism including a rotary drive gear assembly with a first rotary gear and a second rotary gear that rotate about a common axis, where the first gear is rotationally driven by the operating handle gear in a first angular direction and an opposite second angular direction, and where an inter-gear unidirectional rotary drive assembly interconnects the first and second drive gears so that the second gear is driven by and rotates with the first gear in the first direction but is not driven in co-rotation in the opposite second direction, using first and second catch surfaces engaged to maintain co-rotation in the first angular direction and having a disengagement surface that causes catch-surface disengagement by moving a movable catch element.
Second-gear unidirectional rotary lock assembly with lock surfaces and ramped disengagement
A second-gear unidirectional rotary lock assembly interconnecting the first and second drive gears so that the second gear co-rotates in the first direction but is locked from co-rotation in the opposite second direction, using first and second lock surfaces and a disengagement surface that releases engagement by moving a movable catch element, wherein engagement locks rotation in the second direction and disengagement is caused by a ramped disengagement surface moving the pawl or catch element.
Rotary cartridge lancing device with rack-gear operating handle
A lancing device with a housing and an operating handle that translates between retracted and extended positions and includes a grip, an elongate member extending from the grip and into the housing, and a rack gear defined by the elongate member, where the operating handle translates along a linear path such that the first handle position is retracted with the grip translated in and generally adjacent the housing and the second handle position is extended with the grip translated away from the housing.
Inter-gear unidirectional rotary ratcheting drive with inter-gear pawl, inter-gear tooth, and inter-gear ramped surface
An advancement mechanism including an inter-gear unidirectional rotary ratcheting drive assembly that operably interconnects the first and second drive gears so that the second gear is driven by and rotates with the first gear in the first direction but is not driven in co-rotation by the first gear in the opposite second direction, where the assembly includes at least one inter-gear pawl defining a catch surface and at least one inter-gear tooth defining a catch surface, with at least one inter-gear ramped surface positioned adjacent the respective catch surface to move the inter-gear pawl out of engagement and cause catch-surface disengagement.
Second-gear unidirectional rotary ratcheting lock with second-gear pawl, second-gear tooth lock surface, and second-gear ramped surface
A second-gear unidirectional rotary lock assembly operably interconnecting the first and second drive gears so that the second gear is free to be driven and co-rotate with the first gear in the first direction but is locked from co-rotation in the opposite second direction, where the second-gear unidirectional rotary ratcheting drive assembly includes at least one second-gear tooth defining a lock surface and at least one second-gear pawl defining a lock surface, and at least one second-gear ramped surface positioned adjacent the respective lock surface to move the second-gear pawl out of engagement when the second gear rotates in the first direction.
The independent claims cover a rotary-cartridge medical or lancing device in which translational movement of an operating handle drives a rotary drive gear assembly. The inter-gear unidirectional rotary drive/ratcheting prevents co-rotation in a reverse direction by using pawl/tooth catch surfaces and ramped disengagement. The second-gear unidirectional rotary lock assembly further restricts reverse rotation using lock surfaces and ramped disengagement, and the rotary gear train drives a pinion output gear and the cartridge gear for sequential advancement of medical items or lancets.
Stated Advantages
The rotary gear train maintains co-rotation in a first direction and prevents co-rotation in the opposite second direction.
The mechanism sequentially advances medical items or lancets for use or dispensing.
The rotary drive gear assembly drives a pinion output gear, and the pinion output gear rotationally drives the cartridge gear to index-advance the lancets.
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
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