Single use lancet assembly

Abstract

A single use lancet device having a housing, with an open interior and an access opening defined therein, a lancet, with a body and a piercing tip, and disposed in the open interior of the housing so as to move between a cocked orientation and a piercing orientation, a driving assembly structured to move the lancet into the piercing orientation, and a restrictor assembly having a shoulder element and a restrictor panel operatively associated with the lancet and the housing and structured to pass over the restrictor panel upon the lancet moving from its cocked orientation to its piercing orientation, and to abut the restrictor panel upon attempted movement of the lancet back into its cocked orientation after movement into the piercing orientation, thereby preventing the lancet from moving back into the cocked orientation and preventing re-use of a contaminated piercing tip.

1 . A single use lancet device comprising: 
 a housing;    a lancet;    said lancet including a piercing tip;    said lancet at least partially disposed in said housing and structured to move at least between a cocked orientation and a piercing orientation;    a biasing element structured to move said lancet at least temporarily into said piercing orientation;    an actuator structured to be actuated by a user so as to result in said biasing element moving said lancet at least temporarily into said piercing orientation; and    a restrictor assembly independent of said biasing element and structured to engage said lancet and thereby prevent said lancet from being moved back into said cocked orientation after movement of said lancet at least temporarily into said piercing orientation even if an implement pushes said lancet.    
   
   
       2 . A single use lancet as recited in  claim 1  wherein said biasing element comprises a spring.  
   
   
       3 . A single use lancet as recited in  claim 1  wherein said actuator comprises a button structured to protrude from said housing when said lancet is disposed in said cocked orientation.  
   
   
       4 . A single use lancet as recited in  claim 1  wherein said restrictor assembly comprises an abutment structure cooperatively disposed between said housing and said lancet and structured to prevent said lancet from moving into said cocked orientation after movement into said piercing orientation.  
   
   
       5 . A single use lancet as recited in  claim 4  wherein said abutment structure comprises a shoulder element and a restrictor panel, said restrictor panel and said shoulder element structured to pass one another upon said lancet moving from said cocked orientation to said piercing orientation, and to abut one another upon attempted movement of said lancet into said cocked orientation after movement into said piercing orientation.  
   
   
       6 . A single use lancet as recited in  claim 5  wherein said shoulder element is structured to move relative to said restrictor panel so as to facilitate passage of said restrictor panel and said shoulder element past one another in a first direction corresponding movement of said lancet from said cocked orientation to said piercing orientation, and to block movement of said restrictor panel in a second direction generally opposite said first direction subsequent to said passage past one another in said first direction.  
   
   
       7 . A single use lancet as recited in  claim 6  wherein said shoulder element comprises a biased finger extending from said lancet, and said restrictor panel comprises a protruding element protruding from said housing.  
   
   
       8 . A single use lancet as recited in  claim 7  wherein said protruding element includes a sloped configuration which downwardly slopes away from said piercing tip of said lancet so as to facilitate passage thereof past said biased finger upon said lancet moving in a first direction towards said access opening.  
   
   
       9 . A single use lancet as recited in  claim 4  wherein said abutment structure further comprises said actuator structured to release said lancet from said cocked orientation.  
   
   
       10 . A single use lancet as recited in  claim 1  further comprising a protective cover structured to at least partially and removably cover said piercing tip of said lancet at least prior to movement of said lancet into said cocked orientation.  
   
   
       11 . A single use lancet device comprising: 
 a housing;    a lancet;    said lancet disposed at least partially in an interior of said housing and structured to move relative to said housing;    a biasing element structured to move said lancet into a second position relative to said housing wherein said lancet pierces a patient's skin from a first position relative to said housing wherein said lancet is disposed immediately prior to being moved by said biasing element towards and into said second position;    an actuator structured to be actuated by a user so as to result in said biasing element moving said lancet; and    an abutment structure independent of said biasing element and cooperatively disposed between said housing and said lancet, said abutment structure structured to prevent movement of said lancet back into said first position relative to said housing after movement of said lancet into said second position relative to said housing even if an implement pushes said lancet towards said first position relative to said housing.