Blood lancet with hygienic tip protection

Abstract

The invention concerns lancets with a lancet needle, the tip of the lancet needle being embedded in an elastic material. Furthermore the invention concerns lancets where the tip of the lancet needle is surrounded by a hollow body which partially consists of an elastic material that can be pierced by the tip of the lancet needle during the lancing process and which reseals the tip of the lancet needle in the hollow body when it is retracted. In addition the invention concerns a lancet magazine in which the lancets are accommodated in individual chambers, each chamber having an opening through which the tip of the lancet needle can pass, which is sealed by an elastic material. Finally the invention concerns the use of an elastic material as a component of a lancet or a lancet magazine to maintain the sterility of at least the tip of a lancet needle in the unused state and to hygienically protect at least the tip of a lancet needle in the used state.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Lancet magazine containing at least two lancets which each comprise a lancet needle with a tip and which are each accommodated in individual chambers of the lancet magazine that are independent of one another, each chamber having at least one opening for the tip of the lancet needle to emerge, the said opening of the chamber being closed by an elastic material such that the elastic material can be pierced by the tip of the lancet needle during the lancing process, characterized in that the elastic material tightly reseals after the tip of the lancet needle has been retracted into the chamber. 
     
     
         2 . Lancet magazine according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the elastic material is a thermoplastic elastomer. 
     
     
         3 . Use of an elastic material as a component of a lancet according to  claim 1  to preserve the sterility of at least the tip of a lancet needle in an unused state. 
     
     
         4 . Use according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the elastic material is additionally used to hygienically shield at least the tip of a lancet needle in an used state. 
     
     
         5 . Use according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the elastic material is a thermoplastic elastomer. 
     
     
         6 . Lancet magazine according to  claim 1 , wherein the chambers in the lancet magazine are disposed in a regular geometric pattern where neighboring chambers have at least one common wall. 
     
     
         7 . Lancet magazine according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 each of the chambers has an inner wall; and   each of the lancets has a lancet body that seals with the inner wall of the chamber.   
     
     
         8 . Lancet magazine according to  claim 1 , wherein the chambers are arranged symmetrically around a central axis to give the lancet magazine a cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         9 . Lancet magazine according to  claim 1 , wherein the chambers are arranged next to one another give the lancet magazine a cuboid shape. 
     
     
         10 . A lancet system for piercing tissue to cause a body fluid to flow out of the tissue, the lancet system comprising:
 a lancing device;   a plurality of lancets stored in the lancing device, each lancet including
 a lancet needle with a tip, wherein the tip is sharp for piercing the tissue, 
 wherein the lancet needle is manufactured from a material that is hard enough to withstand mechanical stress without deformation during piercing of the tissue, 
 a lancet body which completely surrounds the lancet needle at least in the area of the tip, the tip being able to move relative to the lancet body and able to protrude from the lancet body and the lancet body including an elastic material at least in the area of the tip of the lancet needle, characterized in that before its use, the tip of the lancet needle is embedded in the elastic material without a hollow space remaining, 
 wherein the lancet body is configured to keep at least the tip of the lancet needle sterile in an unused state before use, 
 wherein the elastic material is a thermoplastic elastomer that is configured to be pierced by the tip without damaging the tip, 
 wherein the tip of the lancet needle has a first position in which the tip is embedded within the elastic material of the lancet body, 
 wherein the tip of the lancet needle has a second position in which the tip protrudes from the lancet body, and 
 the tip of the lancet needle being moveable from the first position to the second position; 
 the lancing device configured to engage the lancets to move the tip of the lancet needle from the first position to the second position, wherein the tip is configured to pierce the lancet body when the lancing device moves the tip from the first position to the second position; 
   wherein unused ones of the lancets are stored together with used ones of the lancets in the lancing device; and   wherein the entire store of lancets are configured to be disposed of as a whole from the lancing device.   
     
     
         11 . The lancet system according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 the lancet needle having a drive end opposite the tip; and   wherein a length of the lancet needle from the lancet body to the drive end is bare to allow the lancet needle to move relative to the lancet body.   
     
     
         12 . The lancet system according to  claim 11 , wherein the drive end of the lancet needle is dull. 
     
     
         13 . The lancet system according to  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of lancets are stored in a lancet magazine. 
     
     
         14 . The lancet system according to  claim 13 , wherein the lancet magazine includes a plurality of chambers where the lancets are housed. 
     
     
         15 . The lancet system according to  claim 14 , wherein the chambers in the lancet magazine are disposed in a regular geometric pattern where neighboring chambers have at least one common wall. 
     
     
         16 . The lancet system according to  claim 15 , wherein the chambers are arranged symmetrically around a central axis to give the lancet magazine a cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         17 . The lancet system according to  claim 15 , wherein the chambers are arranged next to one another give the lancet magazine a cuboid shape. 
     
     
         18 . The lancet system according to  claim 14 , wherein:
 each of the chambers has an inner wall; and   each of the lancets has a portion that seals with the inner wall of the chamber.   
     
     
         19 . The lancet system according to  claim 10 , wherein the lancets are connected together to form a lancet tape. 
     
     
         20 . The lancet system according to  claim 19 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomer connects the lancets together. 
     
     
         21 . The lancet system according to  claim 10 , wherein the elastic material is stabilized with a stiff material. 
     
     
         22 . A lancet system, comprising:
 a lancet magazine;   a plurality of lancets accommodated in the lancet magazine, each of the lancets including
 a lancet needle with a tip, and 
 a lancet body which completely surrounds the lancet needle at least in the area of the tip, the tip being able to move relative to the lancet body and able to protrude from the lancet body and the lancet body including an elastic material at least in the area of the tip of the lancet needle, characterized in that before its use, the tip of the lancet needle is embedded in the elastic material without a hollow space remaining, wherein the elastic material is an injection moldable material. 
   
     
     
         23 . The lancet system of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 wherein for each of the lancets
 the tip of the lancet needle has a first position in which the tip is embedded within the elastic material of the lancet body, 
 the tip of the lancet needle has a second position in which the tip protrudes from the lancet body, and 
 the tip of the lancet needle being moveable from the first position to the second position; and 
   a lancing device having a drive device engaging the lancet needle to move the tip of the lancet needle from the first position to the second position.   
     
     
         24 . The lancet system according to  claim 22 , wherein the lancet magazine includes a plurality of chambers where the lancets are housed. 
     
     
         25 . The lancet system according to  claim 24 , wherein the chambers in the lancet magazine are disposed in a regular geometric pattern where neighboring chambers have at least one common wall. 
     
     
         26 . The lancet system according to  claim 25 , wherein the chambers are arranged symmetrically around a central axis to give the lancet magazine a cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         27 . The lancet system according to  claim 24 , wherein:
 each of the chambers has an inner wall; and   each of the lancets has a portion that seals with the inner wall of the chamber.