Contact Activated Lancet Device

Abstract

A lancet device including a housing and a lancet structure having a puncturing element. The lancet structure disposed within the housing and adapted for movement between a retaining or pre-actuated position wherein the puncturing element is retained within the housing, and a puncturing position wherein the puncturing element extends through a forward end of the housing. The lancet device includes a drive spring disposed within the housing for biasing the lancet structure toward the puncturing position, and a retaining hub retaining the lancet structure in the retracted position against the bias of the drive spring. The retaining hub includes a pivotal lever in interference engagement with the lancet structure. An actuator within the housing pivots the lever, thereby moving the lancet structure toward the rearward end of the housing to at least partially compress the drive spring, and releasing the lever from interference engagement with the lancet structure.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of retaining a lancet structure in a pre-activated position within a housing, comprising:
 providing the lancet structure with a puncturing element disposed within the housing; and   retaining the puncturing element within the housing against a bias of a drive spring biasing the lancet structure toward a puncturing position in which the puncturing element extends through a forward end of the housing, the improvement comprising retaining the lancet within the housing against the bias of the drive spring with a retaining hub comprising a rim including a lever in interference engagement with the lancet structure, the lever being pivotal about a fulcrum.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein movement of the housing and the retaining hub with respect to each other causes a contact within the housing to pivot the lever about the fulcrum, thereby moving the lancet structure toward the rearward end of the housing to at least partially compress the drive spring and release the lever from interference engagement with the lancet structure, permitting the drive spring to drive the lancet structure through the housing toward the puncturing position. 
     
     
         3 . A method of actuating a lancet device comprising:
 providing a lancet device comprising:
 a housing; 
 a lancet structure disposed within the housing and including a puncturing element retained within the housing; 
 a drive spring biasing the lancet structure toward a puncturing position in which the puncturing element extends through a forward end of the housing; and 
 a retaining hub retaining the lancet structure within the housing against a bias of the drive spring, the retaining hub comprising a pivotal lever in interference engagement with the lancet structure; and 
   contacting the lever with an actuator to pivot the lever, thereby sequentially causing the lancet structure to move toward a rearward end of the housing to compress the drive spring and release the interference engagement between the lever and the lancet structure, thereby causing the drive spring to drive the lancet structure toward the puncturing position.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the actuator comprises an internal contact within the housing, and wherein the contacting step comprises displacing the housing and the retaining hub toward each other to cause the internal contact of the housing to pivot the lever. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the lancet device further comprises a shield extending through the forward end of the housing and movable with respect to the housing, with the retaining hub adjacent the rearward end of the shield retaining the lancet structure within the housing against the bias of the drive spring. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , comprising a displacement step involving displacing the rearward end of the shield and the rearward end of the housing toward each other to cause the contacting step. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the displacement step comprises applying external pressure between a forward end of the shield and the rearward end of the housing. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the lever comprises a shoulder in interference engagement with the lancet structure and a contact surface for engagement with the internal contact of the housing, and wherein the contacting step comprises engaging the internal contact of the housing with the contact surface of the lever to pivot the lever. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the retaining hub comprises an annular rim with the lever pivotally hinged to the annular rim such that the shoulder extends radially inward of the annular rim and the contact surface is at an external perimeter of the annular rim, and wherein the contacting step comprises engaging the internal contact of the housing with the contact surface of the lever at an external perimeter of the annular rim, thereby pivoting the lever by tipping the contact surface and the shoulder to release the lancet structure through the annular rim and through the shield. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the method further comprises a step of retracting the puncturing element within the housing after the puncturing element reaches the puncturing position. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the lancet device further comprises a compression spring positioned within the forward end of the shield, and wherein the retraction step comprises compressing the compression spring between the lancet structure and the forward end of the shield through the bias of the drive spring and thereafter relaxing the compression spring, wherein the biasing force of the compression spring between the forward end of the shield and the lancet structure in a relaxed state exceeds the biasing force of the drive spring between the rearward end of the housing and the lancet structure after the drive spring drives the lancet device to the puncturing position, thereby retracting the puncturing element within the shield and maintaining the lancet structure within the housing. 
     
     
         12 . A method of retaining a lancet structure in a pre-activated position within a housing, comprising:
 providing the lancet structure with a puncturing element disposed within the housing; and   retaining the puncturing element within the housing against a bias of a biasing member biasing the lancet structure toward a puncturing position in which the puncturing element extends through an end of the housing, the improvement comprising retaining the lancet within the housing against the bias of the biasing member with a retaining hub comprising a rim including a lever in interference engagement with the lancet structure, the lever being pivotal about a pivot point, wherein movement of the housing and the retaining hub with respect to each other causes the lever to pivot about the pivot point to at least partially compress the biasing member and release the lever from interference engagement with the lancet structure, permitting the biasing member to drive the lancet structure through the housing toward the puncturing position.   
     
     
         13 . A method of actuating a lancet device comprising:
 providing a lancet device comprising:
 a housing; 
 a lancet structure disposed within the housing and including a puncturing element retained within the housing; 
 a biasing member biasing the lancet structure toward a puncturing position in which the puncturing element extends through an end of the housing; and 
 a retaining hub retaining the lancet structure within the housing against a bias of the biasing member, the retaining hub comprising a pivotal lever in interference engagement with the lancet structure; and 
   contacting the lever with an actuator to pivot the lever, causing a release of the interference engagement between the lever and the lancet structure, thereby causing the biasing member to drive the lancet structure toward the puncturing position.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the actuator comprises an internal contact within the housing, and wherein the contacting step comprises displacing the housing and the retaining hub toward each other to cause the internal contact of the housing to pivot the lever. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the lancet device further comprises a shield extending through the forward end of the housing and movable with respect to the housing, with the retaining hub adjacent the rearward end of the shield retaining the lancet structure within the housing against the bias of the biasing member. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising a displacement step involving displacing the rearward end of the shield and the rearward end of the housing toward each other to cause the contacting step. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the lever comprises a shoulder and the retaining hub comprises an annular rim with the lever pivotally hinged to the annular rim such that the shoulder extends radially inward of the annular rim and the contact surface is at an external perimeter of the annular rim, and wherein the contacting step comprises engaging the internal contact of the housing with the contact surface of the lever at an external perimeter of the annular rim, thereby pivoting the lever by tipping the contact surface and the shoulder to release the lancet structure through the annular rim and through the shield. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises providing a compression spring for retracting the puncturing element within the housing after the puncturing element reaches the puncturing position.