Lancing device and multi-lancet cartridge

1. A lancing device for use with a cartridge assembly having an array of lancets, each lancet including a detachable cap, the lancing device comprising:

a housing for receiving the cartridge assembly;

an indexing ratchet mechanism adapted to sequentially advance the lancets into an active lancet position;

a drive mechanism having a drive member adapted to engage and retract an active-positioned one of the lancets to detach the corresponding active-positioned cap, and to drive the active-positioned lancet along a lancing stroke;

a charger mechanism adapted to retract the drive member;

a cap displacement mechanism adapted to engage and move the active-positioned, detached lancet cap from the lancing stroke path of the active-positioned lancet; and

a slider that is slidable relative to the housing and adapted to actuate the indexing ratchet mechanism, the charger mechanism, and the cap displacement mechanism as the slider is moved between a first position and a second position.

2. The lancing device of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge assembly includes ratchet teeth, and wherein the indexing ratchet mechanism includes a resiliently deflectable pawl extending from the slider that engages the ratchet teeth to advance the lancets in the cartridge to the active position.

3. The lancing device of claim 1 , wherein the charger mechanism includes a resiliently deflected cam arm that extends from the slider and is adapted to retract the drive member.

4. The lancing device of claim 3 , wherein the drive member has a charging follower and the cam arm is resiliently deflected by the charging follower when the slider is moved from the first position toward the second position.

5. The lancing device of claim 4 , wherein the cam arm is moved past the charging follower when the slider reaches the second position, and the cam arm returns to its neutral position.

6. The lancing device of claim 5 , wherein the cam arm engages the charging follower and retracts the drive member as the slider is moved from the second position back to the first position.

7. The lancing device of claim 3 , wherein the drive member has a locking follower and the slider defines a locking wall that blocks a travel path of the drive member locking follower except when the slider is in the second position.

8. The lancing device of claim 3 , wherein the lancet cap is detached from the active lancet when the drive member retracts the lancet.

9. The lancing device of claim 8 , wherein the slider includes a cam surface and the cap displacement mechanism includes a lifter with a follower that is guided by the cam surface to move a separated lancet cap from the lancing stroke path of the active lancet when the slider is moved from the second position to the first position.

10. The lancing device of claim 1 , wherein the slider includes a cam surface and the cap displacement mechanism includes a lifter with a follower that is guided by the cam surface to move a separated lancet cap from the lancing stroke path of the active lancet when the slider is moved from the second position to the first position.

11. The lancing device of claim 10 , wherein the cam surface is configured so that, during a first part of the slider movement from the second position to the first position, the lifter is in a lowered position so that the lifter is out of the way of the lancets being advanced out of and into the active position and so that the active lancet can be retracted to detach the cap of the active lancet, and during a second part of the slider movement from the second position to the first position, the lifter is raised to engage and move the detached cap out of the way of the lancet stroke path.

12. The lancing device of claim 11 , further comprising a lifter guide track for guiding the raising and lowering movement of the lifter.

13. The lancing device of claim 10 , wherein the lifter defines an opening through which the lancet passes during the lancing stroke.

14. The lancing device of claim 1 further comprising a multi-lancet cartridge removably installed within the housing.

15. A lancing device for use with a cartridge assembly having an array of lancets sequentially advanced to an active position, the lancing device comprising:

a housing for receiving the cartridge assembly;

a drive mechanism having a drive member adapted to engage and retract an active-positioned one of the lancets to an armed position and to drive the active-positioned lancet along a lancing stroke; and

a cam-guided charger mechanism adapted to retract the drive member,

wherein the active lancet is capped by an active lancet cap that is detached from the active lancet by the drive member retracting the lancet.

16. The lancing device of claim 15 , further comprising a slider that is slidable relative to the housing and adapted to actuate the cam-guided charger mechanism as the slider is moved between a first position and a second position.

17. The lancing device of claim 16 , wherein the charger mechanism includes a resiliently deflected cam arm that extends from the slider and is adapted to retract the drive member.

18. The lancing device of claim 17 , wherein the drive member has a charging follower and the cam arm is resiliently deflected by the charging follower when the slider is moved from the first position toward the second position.

19. The lancing device of claim 18 , wherein the cam arm is moved past the charging follower when the slider reaches the second position, and the cam arm returns to its neutral position.

20. The lancing device of claim 19 , wherein the cam arm engages the charging follower and retracts the drive member as the slider is moved from the second position back to the first position.

21. The lancing device of claim 16 , wherein the drive member has a locking follower and the slider defines a locking wall that blocks a travel path of the drive member locking follower except when the slider is in the second position.

22. The lancing device of claim 15 , further comprising an indexing ratchet mechanism adapted to sequentially advance the lancets and a cam-guided cap displacement mechanism adapted to move detached lancet caps out of the active lancet lancing stroke path.

23. A lancing device for use with a cartridge assembly having an array of lancets, each lancet including a detachable cap, the lancing device comprising:

a housing for receiving the cartridge assembly;

a drive mechanism having a drive member adapted to engage and retract an active-positioned one of the lancets to detach the corresponding active-positioned cap, and to drive the active-positioned lancet along a lancing stroke; and

a cam-guided cap displacement mechanism adapted to engage and move the active-positioned, detached lancet cap from the lancing stroke path of the active-positioned lancet,

wherein the lancet cap is separated from the active lancet when the drive member retracts the lancet.

24. The lancing device of claim 23 , further comprising a slider that is slidable relative to the housing and adapted to actuate the cap displacement mechanism as the slider is moved between a first position and a second position.

25. The lancing device of claim 23 , wherein the slider includes a cam surface and the cap displacement mechanism includes a lifter with a follower that is guided by the cam surface to moving the detached lancet cap from the lancing stroke path of the active lancet when the slider is moved from the second position to the first position.

26. The lancing device of claim 25 , wherein the cam surface is configured so that, during a first part of the slider movement from the second position to the first position, the lifter is in a lowered position so that the lifter is out of the way of the lancets being advanced out of and into the active position and so that the active lancet can be retracted to detach the cap of the active lancet, and during a second part of the slider movement from the second position to the first position, the lifter is raised to engage and move the detached cap out of the way of the lancet stroke path.

27. The lancing device of claim 25 , further comprising a lifter guide track for guiding the raising and lowering movement of the lifter.

28. The lancing device of claim 25 , wherein the lifter defines an opening through which the lancet passes during the lancing stroke.

29. The lancing device of claim 23 , further comprising an indexing ratchet mechanism adapted to sequentially advance the lancets and a cam-guided charging mechanism adapted to retract the drive member.