Blood withdrawal system

1. A lancing device, including:

a housing having an opening and a support surface;

a lancet holder movably mounted in the opening including a lancet and a bearing member configured to rest on the support surface when the lancet holder is in a first position;

a trigger unit having a release button configured such that when the release button is actuated, linear movement of the release button along a longitudinal axis of the housing is converted into rotational movement of one of the bearing member and the support surface relative to the other of the bearing member and the support surface and causes the lancet holder to move into a second position wherein the bearing member falls from the support surface; and

a spring in engagement with the lancet holder such that when the lancet holder is in the first position, the spring is tensioned, and when the lancet holder is moved into the second position, the spring at least partially relaxes thereby moving the lancet holder relative to the housing in a lancing direction such that a tip of the lancet emerges from an end of the housing.

2. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the spring is connected to the lancet holder.

3. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the bearing member is urged against an underside of the support surface after the lancet tip emerges from the end of the housing.

4. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the bearing member undergoes the rotational movement relative to the support surface.

5. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the lancet holder includes a second bearing member.

6. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the trigger unit includes a locking member configured to prevent the rotational movement until the trigger unit is actuated.

7. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a locking member configured to prevent unintentional rotation of one of the bearing member and the support surface relative to the other of the bearing member and the support surface.

8. The lancing device of claim 1 further includes a detachable sterile protector for the lancet, the protector including a locking member configured to prevent the rotational movement until the protector is detached.

9. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a stop which stops the movement of the lancet holder in the lancing direction.

10. The lancing device of claim 9 wherein the bearing member engages the stop, thereby stopping the movement of the lancet holder in the lancing direction.

11. A method for triggering a lancing process with a lancing device, including the steps of:

supporting a lancet holder on a support surface in a housing of the lancing device;

actuating a trigger unit of the lancing device such that a release button of the trigger unit carries out a linear movement along a longitudinal axis of the housing;

converting the linear movement of the release button into a rotational movement of one of the lancet holder and the support surface relative to the other of the lancet holder and the support surface, the linear movement causing the lancet holder to move off of the support and carry out a falling movement during which a tip of a lancet of the lancet holder emerges from an end of the housing to carry out a lancing process.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the linear movement of the release button is substantially perpendicular to a plane of the rotational movement of the lancet holder.

13. A lancing device, including:

a housing having an opening and a support surface;

a lancet holder movably mounted in the opening including a lancet and a bearing member configured to rest on the support surface when the lancet holder is in a first position;

a trigger unit having a release button configured such that when the trigger unit is actuated, linear movement of the trigger unit is converted into rotational movement of one of the bearing member and the support surface relative to the other of the bearing member and the support surface such that the lancet holder moves into a second position wherein the bearing member falls from the support surface, the trigger unit further including a rotary drive element that is moved against the bearing member by the linear movement of the release button, thereby moving the bearing member off of the support surface, the rotary drive element including at least one elastic arm that is deformed by the linear movement of the release button and a slanted ramp that extends into the housing; and

a spring in engagement with the lancet holder such that when the lancet holder is in the first position, the spring is tensioned, and when the lancet holder is moved into the second position, the spring at least partially relaxes thereby moving the lancet holder relative to the housing in a lancing direction such that a tip of the lancet emerges from an end of the housing.

14. A lancing device, including:

a housing having an opening and a support surface;

a lancet holder movably mounted in the opening including a lancet and a bearing member configured to rest on the support surface when the lancet holder is in a first position;

a trigger unit having a release button configured such that when the trigger unit is actuated, linear movement of the trigger unit is converted into rotational movement of one of the bearing member and the support surface relative to the other of the bearing member and the support surface such that the lancet holder moves into a second position wherein the bearing member falls from the support surface, the trigger unit further including a locking member configured to engage a recess formed in the lancet holder such that the rotational movement is prevented until the trigger unit is actuated; and

a spring in engagement with the lancet holder such that when the lancet holder is in the first position, the spring is tensioned, and when the lancet holder is moved into the second position, the spring at least partially relaxes thereby moving the lancet holder relative to the housing in a lancing direction such that a tip of the lancet emerges from an end of the housing.

15. A lancing device, including:

a housing having an opening and a support surface;

a lancet holder movably mounted in the opening including a lancet and a bearing member configured to rest on the support surface when the lancet holder is in a first position;

a trigger unit having a release button configured such that when the trigger unit is actuated, linear movement of the trigger unit is converted into rotational movement of one of the bearing member and the support surface relative to the other of the bearing member and the support surface such that the lancet holder moves into a second position wherein the bearing member falls from the support surface;

a spring in engagement with the lancet holder such that when the lancet holder is in the first position, the spring is tensioned, and when the lancet holder is moved into the second position, the spring at least partially relaxes thereby moving the lancet holder relative to the housing in a lancing direction such that a tip of the lancet emerges from an end of the housing; and

a detachable sterile protector for the lancet having a locking member configured to prevent the rotational movement until the protector is detached, the protector further including a barb configured to prevent the lancet holder from moving in a direction that is substantially parallel to the lancing direction.

16. A lancing device, including:

a housing having an opening and a support surface;

a lancet holder movably mounted in the opening including a lancet and a bearing member configured to rest on the support surface when the lancet holder is in a first position;

a trigger unit having a release button configured such that when the trigger unit is actuated, linear movement of the trigger unit is converted into rotational movement of one of the bearing member and the support surface relative to the other of the bearing member and the support surface such that the lancet holder moves into a second position wherein the bearing member falls from the support surface, the trigger unit further including a rotary drive element that is moved against the bearing member by the linear movement of the release button, thereby moving the bearing member off of the support surface; and

a spring in engagement with the lancet holder such that when the lancet holder is in the first position, the spring is tensioned, and when the lancet holder is moved into the second position, the spring at least partially relaxes thereby moving the lancet holder relative to the housing in a lancing direction such that a tip of the lancet emerges from an end of the housing.

17. The lancing device of claim 16 , wherein the rotary drive element includes at least one elastic arm that is deformed by the linear movement of the release button.

18. A lancing device, including:

a housing having an opening and a support surface;

a lancet holder movably mounted in the opening including a lancet and a bearing member configured to rest on the support surface when the lancet holder is in a first position, the support surface including a depression configured to receive the bearing member when the lancet holder is in the first position;

a trigger unit having a release button configured such that when the trigger unit is actuated, linear movement of the trigger unit is converted into rotational movement of one of the bearing member and the support surface relative to the other of the bearing member and the support surface such that the lancet holder moves into a second position wherein the bearing member falls from the support surface; and

a spring in engagement with the lancet holder such that when the lancet holder is in the first position, the spring is tensioned, and when the lancet holder is moved into the second position, the spring at least partially relaxes thereby moving the lancet holder relative to the housing in a lancing direction such that a tip of the lancet emerges from an end of the housing.

19. A lancing device, including:

a housing having an opening and a support surface;

a lancet holder movably mounted in the opening including a lancet and a bearing member configured to rest on the support surface when the lancet holder is in a first position;

a trigger unit having a release button configured such that when the trigger unit is actuated, linear movement of the trigger unit is converted into rotational movement of one of the bearing member and the support surface relative to the other of the bearing member and the support surface such that the lancet holder moves into a second position wherein the bearing member falls from the support surface;

a spring in engagement with the lancet holder such that when the lancet holder is in the first position, the spring is tensioned, and when the lancet holder is moved into the second position, the spring at least partially relaxes thereby moving the lancet holder relative to the housing in a lancing direction such that a tip of the lancet emerges from an end of the housing; and

a cap movably mounted on the end of the housing, the cap including a bore through which the tip of the lancet emerges when the lancet holder moves in the lancing direction.

20. A method for triggering a lancing process with a lancing device, including the steps of:

supporting a lancet holder on a support surface in a housing of the lancing device;

actuating a trigger unit of the lancing device such that at least a part of the trigger unit carries out a linear movement;

converting the linear movement into a rotational movement of one of the lancet holder and the support surface relative to the other of the lancet holder and the support surface until the lancet holder moves off of the support and carries out a falling movement during which a tip of a lancet of the lancet holder emerges from an end of the housing to carry out a lancing process; and

preventing retensioning of the lancet.

21. A lancing device, including:

a housing having an opening and a support surface;

a lancet holder movably and rotatably mounted in the housing and including a lancet and a bearing member configured to rest on the support surface when the lancet holder is in a first position;

a trigger unit having a release button configured such that when the release button is actuated, linear movement of the release button is converted into rotational movement of one of the bearing member and the support surface relative to the other of the bearing member and the support surface and causes the lancet holder to move into a second position wherein the bearing member falls from the support surface; and

a spring in engagement with the lancet holder such that when the lancet holder is in the first position, the spring is tensioned, and when the lancet holder is moved into the second position, the spring at least partially relaxes thereby moving the lancet holder relative to the housing in a lancing direction such that a tip of the lancet emerges from an end of the housing.