Method and apparatus for penetrating tissue

1. A tissue penetration device, comprising:

an electronic penetrating member driver;

a cartridge;

a plurality of penetrating members integrated with the cartridge, each of a penetrating member coupled to the electronic penetrating member driver when advanced along a path into a tissue target; and

a user interface coupled to a processor with a memory, wherein in response to an input at the user interface by a user the processor modulates power from a power supply to the electronic penetrating member driver through an amplifier to provide an electrical input to the electronic penetrating member driver to adjust an application of force to a penetrating member and achieve a desired speed of a penetrating member, adjust an application of force applied to the penetrating member when the penetrating member contacts target tissue so that the penetrating member penetrates target tissue within a desired range of speed, determine when contact with a skin surface is made by a tip of the penetrating member, monitor speed of the penetrating member as the penetrating member moves in first direction toward the target tissue, determine whether the distal end of the penetrating member has reached a brake depth, and control a withdraw force from the target tissue, with spontaneous body fluid flow from a patient that is collected in a sample chamber.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface is configured to provide a user with at least one input selected from, depth of a penetrating member penetration, velocity of a penetrating member, a desired velocity profile, a velocity of a penetrating member into the target tissue, velocity of the penetrating member out of the target tissue, dwell time of the penetrating member in the target tissue, and a target tissue relaxation parameter.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface provides at least one output to the user selected from, number of penetrating members available, number of penetrating members used, actual depth of penetrating member penetration on a target tissue, stratum corneum thickness, force delivered on a target tissue , energy used by the electronic penetrating member driver to drive a penetrating member into the target tissue, dwell time of the penetrating member, battery status, system status, consumed energy, speed profile of a penetrating member, information relative to contact of a penetrating member with target tissue before penetration by the penetrating member, and information relative to a change of speed of a penetrating member as in travels in the target tissue.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a data interface configured to couple the tissue penetrating system to at least one of, support equipment with a data interface and the internet.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the data interface is selected from at least one of, Serial RS-232, modem interface, USB, HPNA, Ethernet, optical interface, IRDA, RF interface, BLUETOOTH interface, cellular telephone interface, 2 way pager interface, parallel port interface standard, near field magnetic coupling, RF transceiver and a telephone systems.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the support equipment is selected from at least one of, a base station, home computer, central server, and main processing equipment for storing glucose level information.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a real time clock and one or more alarms to provide a user with a reminder of a next target penetrating event is needed.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a memory for storing a target tissue parameter.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a memory for storing data on target tissue penetrating performance.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a memory for storing at least one of, a number of penetrating members used, number of target tissue penetrating events, time and date of the last selected number of target tissue penetrating events, time interval between alarm and target tissue penetrating event, stratum corneum thickness, time of day, energy consumed by the electronic penetrating member driver to drive a penetrating member into the target tissue, depth of penetrating member penetration, velocity of the penetrating member, a desired velocity profile, velocity of the penetrating member into the target tissue, velocity of the penetrating member out of the target tissue, dwell time of the penetrating member in the target tissue, a target tissue relaxation parameter, force delivered on the target tissue, dwell time of the penetrating member, battery status, system status, consumed energy, speed profile of the penetrating member as the penetrating penetrates and advances through the target tissue, a tissue target tissue relaxation parameter, information relative to contact of a penetrating member with target tissue before penetration by the penetrating member, information relative to a change of speed of a penetrating member as in travels in the target tissue, information relative to consumed sensors and information relative to consumed penetrating members.

11. The system of claim 1 , the user interface responds to audio commands.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the user interface includes a sensor for detecting audio commands.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface relays information to a user via an audio device.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface relays information to a user via a wireless device.

15. A tissue penetrating device, comprising:

a housing;

an electronic penetrating member driver;

a cartridge;

a plurality of penetrating members integrated with the cartridge, each of a penetrating member being coupled to the electronic penetrating member driver when advanced along a path into a tissue target; and

a human interface providing at least one output a user interface and coupled to a processor with a memory, wherein in response to an input at the user interface by a user the processor modulates power from a power supply to the electronic penetrating member driver through an amplifier to provide an electrical input to the electronic penetrating member driver to adjust an application of force to a penetrating member and achieve a desired speed of a penetrating member, adjust an application of force applied to the penetrating member when the penetrating member contacts target tissue so that the penetrating member penetrates target tissue within a desired range of speed, determine when contact with a skin surface is made by a tip of the penetrating member, monitor speed of the penetrating member as the penetrating member moves in first direction toward the target tissue, determine whether the distal end of the penetrating member has reached a brake depth, and control a withdraw force from the target tissue, with spontaneous body fluid flow from a patient that is collected in a sample chamber with spontaneous body fluid flow from a patient that is collected in a sample chamber.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:

a penetrating member sensor configured to detect a penetrating member position during target tissue penetration.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one output is selected from, a penetration event of a penetrating member, number of penetrating members remaining, time of day, alarm, penetrating member trajectory waveform profile information, force for last penetration event, the last penetration event, how or low battery status, analyte status, time to change cassette status, jamming malfunction, and system status.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the human interface is selected from an LED, an LED digital display, an LCD display, a sound generator, a buzzer, and a vibrating device.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the housing is selected from at least one of, a telephone, a watch, a PDA, electronic device, medical device, point of care device and a decentralized diagnostic device.

20. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:

an input device coupled to the housing, the input device selected from one or more pushbuttons, a touch pad independent of the display device, or a touch sensitive screen on a visual display.

21. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:

a data exchange device for coupling the tissue penetrating system to support equipment.

22. The system of claim 21 , further comprising:

a data interface configured to couple the tissue penetrating system to support equipment with a data interface.

23. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:

a data exchange device for coupling the tissue penetrating system to support equipment selected from one of the following: personal computer, modem, PDA and a computer network.

24. The system of claim 15 , wherein the human interface includes a real time clock and one or more alarms a user can set for reminders of when a next target tissue penetration event is needed.

25. The system of claim 15 , wherein the human interface is coupled to receive signals from a human interface processor separate from a processor coupled to the electronic penetrating member driver.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the human interface processor has a sleep mode and runs intermittently to conserve power.

27. The system of claim 25 , wherein the human interface processor has logic that provides an alarm time set for a first subset of days and a second alarm time set for a second subset of days.

28. The system of claim 25 , wherein the first subset of days is Monday thru Friday and the second subset of days is Saturday and Sunday.

29. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:

a memory for storing at least one of, a number of penetrating members used, number of target tissue penetrating events, time and date of the last selected number of target tissue penetrating events, time interval between alarm and target tissue penetrating event, stratum corneum thickness, time of day, energy consumed by the electronic penetrating member driver to drive a penetrating member into the target tissue, depth of penetrating member penetration, velocity of the penetrating member, a desired velocity profile, velocity of the penetrating member into the target tissue, velocity of the penetrating member out of the target tissue, dwell time of the penetrating member in the target tissue, a target tissue relaxation parameter, force delivered on the target tissue, dwell time of the penetrating member, battery status, system status, consumed energy, speed profile of the penetrating member as the penetrating penetrates and advances through the target tissue, a tissue target tissue relaxation parameter, information relative to contact of a penetrating member with target tissue before penetration by the penetrating member, information relative to a change of speed of a penetrating member as in travels in the target tissue, information relative to consumed sensors and information relative to consumed penetrating members.

30. A tissue penetrating system, comprising:

a plurality of penetrating members

an electronic penetrating member driver coupled to the plurality of penetrating members;

a cartridge transport device;

a plurality of cartridges each associated with a penetrating member, the cartridge transport device being configured to move each cartridge to a position aligning a penetrating member with the electronic penetrating member driver to drive the penetrating member along a path into a target tissue site; and

a user interface coupled to a processor with a memory, wherein in response to an input at the user interface by a user the processor modulates power from a power supply to the electronic penetrating member driver through an amplifier to provide an electrical input to the electronic penetrating member driver to adjust an application of force to a penetrating member and achieve a desired speed of a penetrating member, adjust an application of force applied to the penetrating member when the penetrating member contacts target tissue so that the penetrating member penetrates target tissue within a desired range of speed, determine when contact with a skin surface is made by a tip of the penetrating member, monitor speed of the penetrating member as the penetrating member moves in first direction toward the target tissue, determine whether the distal end of the penetrating member has reached a brake depth and control a withdraw force from the target tissue, with spontaneous body fluid flow from a patient that is collected in a sample chamber with spontaneous body fluid flow from a patient that is collected in a sample chamber.