Self optimizing lancing device with adaptation means to temporal variations in cutaneous properties

1. A lancing device comprising:

a lancet with a shaft having a proximal driving end and a distal lancing end;

a lancet driver coupled to said lancet for longitudinal displacement of said lancet; and

a lancet controller coupled to said lancet driver and configured to change a magnitude of force exerted on the lancet during a lancing cycle, said lancet controller including a feedback loop for monitoring a longitudinal displacement and velocity to provide a controlled acceleration of said lancet and for modulating the lancet driver to provide a predetermined tissue lancing profile having characteristic phases for lancet advancement and retraction; and

a position sensor coupled to the lancet and to the lancet controller, the position sensor and the lancet controller configured to measure

a distance from an initialization point to a point of contact of the lancet to a target tissue surface, the lancet being retracted by the driver to the initialization point with a distance to the target tissue being measured and a depth of penetration of the lancet determined.

2. A lancing device according to claim 1 wherein:

said lancet driver comprises a solenoid.

3. A lancing device according to claim 2 wherein:

said solenoid drives the lancet with electric current.

4. A lancing device according to claim 3 wherein:

said lancet controller comprises additional coil segments disposed adjacent to said solenoid for monitoring the lancet displacement.

5. A lancing device according to claim 1 wherein:

said lancet driver including a means for oscillating the lancet to improve the lancet cutting ability.

6. A lancing device according to claim 5 wherein:

said oscillating means includes a piezoelectric driver.

7. A lancing device according to claim 6 wherein:

said lancet controller controllably varies said tissue lancing profile as a function of impedance changes sensed from said piezoelectric driver resulting from said lancet interacting with said tissue.

8. A lancing device according to claim 5 wherein:

said lancet controller comprises a means for sensing a change in lancing pressure to determine the lancet displacement.

9. A lancing device according to claim 1 wherein:

said lancet controller comprises a processor for modulating the lancet driver.

10. A lancing device according to claim 9 wherein:

said processor comprises memory for storage and retrieval of a set of alternative lancing profiles which the processor uses to modulate the lancet driver.

11. A lancing device according to claim 10 wherein:

a user of said lancing device selects the profile desired from the alternative profiles to modulate the lancet.

12. A lancing device according to claim 9 wherein:

said processor optimizes said phases of said tissue lancing profile based on information entered by the user of said lancing device.

13. A lancing device according to claim 9 wherein:

said processor modulates the lancet driver by comparing an actual profile of the lancet to the profile and maintaining a preset error limit between the actual profile and the profile.

14. A lancing device according to claim 9 wherein:

said processor comprises a database for the user.

15. A lancing device according to claim 14 wherein:

said database allows the calculation of statistics for a profile.

16. A lancing device according to claim 9 or 14 wherein:

said processor comprises an internal clock which links the lancing event with a time stamp.

17. A lancing device according to claim 9 wherein:

said processor calculates an appropriate lancet diameter and geometry to collect a blood volume required by the user.

18. A lancing device according to claim 1 wherein:

said feedback loop further comprises a light detecting sensor and a light emitter for monitoring the relative position of said lancet.

19. A lancing device according to claim 1 wherein:

said feedback loop further comprises an electromagnetic sensor for monitoring the relative position of at least one magnetically permeable region disposed on a region of said shaft, said sensor comprising at least one solenoid.