Device for taking blood samples to tested, for example for the level of glucose contained therein

1. A device for taking a blood sample to be tested and for tamping the discharge of blood from a part of a patient's body which has been punctured, said puncture being made by a puncturing member ( 5 ), the tamping being effected by a tamping element ( 4 ), the device comprising a container ( 1 ) presenting at least one puncturing member ( 5 ) and a least one tamping element ( 4 ), said device enabling the patient to take the sample while having immediately available the tamping element ( 4 ) to immediately interrupt blood discharge in a manner safe from the medical viewpoint, the container ( 1 ) having separate chambers ( 2 , 3 ) for containing respectively the puncturing member ( 5 ) and the tamping member ( 4 ), the container ( 1 ) comprising a body ( 10 ) in which the separate chambers ( 2 , 3 ) are provided, said body being in one piece, the chambers ( 2 , 3 ) being separated by a wall ( 54 ) formed by folding a punched sheet portion ( 50 ) which also defines a face ( 11 ) of the body ( 10 ) of the container ( 1 ).

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a first chamber ( 2 ) contains a plurality of tamping elements ( 4 ) and a second chamber ( 3 ) contains a plurality of puncturing members ( 5 ).

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the number of tamping elements ( 4 ) is equal to the number of puncturing members ( 5 ).

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the body ( 10 ) of the container ( 1 ) is in one piece and is obtained from a single punched sheet ( 10 A) presenting a plurality of folded parts, said body presenting, in its opposing lateral sides ( 15 , 16 ), apertures ( 19 , 20 ) which communicate with the respective separate chambers ( 2 , 3 ), each tamping element ( 4 ) and each puncturing element ( 5 ) being removable through said apertures, a corresponding closure element ( 19 , 20 ) being positioned in correspondence with each aperture.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the chamber ( 3 ) containing at least one said puncturing element ( 5 ) has its aperture ( 17 ) occupying at least a part of the corresponding lateral side ( 15 ) of the body ( 10 ) of the container ( 1 ), the closure element ( 19 ) positioned in correspondence with said aperture ( 17 ) being hinged to an end edge of said lateral side ( 15 ) and comprising a part ( 24 ) from the edges of which there project sidepieces ( 25 ) slidingly inserted into said chamber ( 3 ), said part ( 24 ) of the closure element ( 19 ) lying inclined to the plane of said lateral side ( 15 ) when said closure element ( 19 ) is in the position in which it frees access to said chamber ( 3 ).

6. A device as claimed in claim 4 , characterised in that wherein the closure element ( 20 ) for the aperture ( 18 ) of the chamber ( 2 ) containing at least one said tamping element ( 4 ) comprises at least one flap ( 35 ) hinged to an end edge of that face ( 12 ) of the body ( 10 ) of the container ( 1 ) which on one side bounds said aperture ( 18 ).

7. A device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the closure element ( 20 ) for the aperture ( 18 ) of the chamber ( 2 ) for the tamping element ( 14 ) comprises a plurality of movable flaps ( 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ).

8. A device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the body ( 10 ) of the container ( 1 ) is of box shape.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the punched sheet portion ( 50 ) defining the wall ( 54 ) between the separate chambers ( 2 , 3 ) terminates on the outside of one ( 2 ) of these latter and defines a movable flap for closing the aperture ( 18 ) of said chamber ( 3 ).

10. A device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the container ( 1 ) is rigid at least in part.

11. A device as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that the container ( 1 ) is flexible at least in part.