Lancing devices and methods

1. A lancing device for use with a removable lancet having a sharp tip, comprising:

a housing having an interior space and an open front end through which the lancet can be inserted;

a lancet holding assembly disposed in the housing and configured to receive within a cavity of the lancet holding assembly a portion of the lancet when the lancet is inserted by a user through the open front end of the housing, the lancet holding assembly being movable between at least a cocked configuration and an uncocked configuration;

an insertion path within the housing extending between the open front end and a portion of the cavity of the lancet holding assembly that receives the lancet;

an interlock movably disposed within the housing and having a forward-most end facing the open front end of the housing, the forward-most end configured to block the lancet from being fully inserted along the insertion path by the user to prevent the lancet holding assembly from receiving the lancet when the lancet holding assembly is in the cocked configuration, wherein the interlock is configured such that pressure on the lancet by the user when the lancet is in contact with the forward-most end of the interlock biases the forward-most end of the interlock further into the insertion path; and

a cocking and firing arrangement comprising a trigger engaging the lancet holding assembly, the trigger movable to at least a first position in which the trigger retains the lancet holding assembly in the cocked configuration and a second position in which the trigger releases the lancet holding assembly to permit the lancet holding assembly to move to the uncocked configuration, the trigger comprising a user-actuated trigger button having a cam surface, wherein the interlock includes a cam follower configured to engage the cam surface to urge the interlock away from the user-actuated trigger button when the trigger moves from the first position to the second position.

2. The lancing device of claim 1 , wherein the cocking and firing arrangement is configured to urge the forward-most end of the interlock out of the insertion path and out of contact with the lancet to permit receiving of the lancet within the cavity of the lancet holding assembly when the lancet holding assembly is in the uncocked configuration.

3. The lancing device of claim 2 , further comprising a biasing element to urge the forward-most end of the interlock into the insertion path, wherein the cocking and firing arrangement is configured to exert a force upon the interlock sufficiently great to overcome a force imposed by the biasing element.

4. The lancing device of claim 1 , wherein the trigger cooperates with the interlock to urge the forward-most end of the interlock out of the insertion path when the trigger moves from the first position to the second position.

5. The lancing device of claim 2 where the interlock includes a body portion extending from the forward-most end and a pivot mounted to the housing to permit the forward-most end to rotate about the pivot into and out of the insertion path.

6. The lancing device of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing element operatively coupled to the interlock to urge the forward-most end to rotate into the insertion path.

7. The lancing device of claim 6 , wherein the biasing element is one of a cantilever spring, a clip spring, and a leaf spring.

8. A lancing device for use with a removable lancet having an elongated body in which a needle with a sharp tip is disposed, comprising:

a housing having a user-engaging end that defines a piercing aperture, the piercing aperture sized to allow insertion of the lancet therethrough;

a lancet carrier disposed in the housing and configured to hold a portion of the lancet when the lancet is inserted through the piercing aperture, the lancet carrier being positioned relative to the user-engaging end of the housing so that the needle is enclosed by the housing when the lancet is received by the lancet carrier;

an interlock movably disposed within the housing and having an engagement position in which a forward-most end of the interlock is locked into a position between the piercing aperture and a forward-most part of the lancet carrier to prevent the lancet from engagement with the lancet carrier; and

a cocking and firing arrangement comprising a trigger engaging the lancet carrier, the trigger movable to at least a first position in which the trigger retains the lancet carrier in the cocked position and a second position in which the trigger releases the lancet carrier to permit the drive member to move the lancet carrier out of the cocked position, wherein one of the interlock and the trigger includes a cam surface and the other of the interlock and the trigger includes a cam follower that engages the cam surface when the trigger moves from the first position to the second position.

9. The lancing device of claim 8 , further comprising:

a drive member coupled to the lancet carrier to urge the lancet carrier forward and project the sharp tip through the piercing aperture, the lancet carrier being movable into and out of a cocked position that is in opposition to the urging of the drive member;

wherein the arrangement is configured to urge the interlock out of the engagement position when the lancet carrier moves out of the cocked position.

10. The lancing device of claim 9 , further comprising a biasing element operatively coupled to the interlock to urge the interlock to rotate into the engagement position.

11. The lancing device of claim 10 , wherein the insertion of the lancet into the housing moves the lancet carrier into the cocked position.

12. The lancing device of claim 11 , wherein the interlock is disposed within the housing to engage the lancet when the lancet carrier is moved into the cocked position by the insertion of the lancet.

13. A lancing device for use with a removable lancet having a sharp tip, comprising:

a housing having an open front end through which the lancet can be inserted along an insertion path;

an interlock movably disposed within the housing and having an engagement position that blocks an insertion path of the lancet with a forward-most end of the interlock to prevent the lancet from operably engaging with the lancing device when the lancing device is cocked, wherein the interlock is configured such that pressure on the lancet by a user when the lancet is in contact with the forward-most end of the interlock biases the forward-most end of the interlock further toward the insertion path; and

a cocking and firing arrangement having a trigger with a first position when the lancing device is cocked and a second position when the lancing device is uncocked, the trigger configured to move the interlock out of the engagement position when the trigger is in the second position, wherein one of the interlock and the trigger includes a cam surface and the other of the interlock and the trigger includes a cam follower that engages the cam surface when the trigger moves from the first position to the second position.

14. The lancing device of claim 13 , further comprising:

a drive member configured to urge the lancet forward and project the sharp tip through the piercing aperture, the lancet being movable into and out of a cocked position that is in opposition to the urging of the drive member;

wherein the cocking and firing arrangement is configured to urge the interlock out of the engagement position when the lancet moves out of the cocked position.

15. The lancing device of claim 13 , further comprising a biasing element operatively coupled to the interlock to urge the interlock to rotate into the engagement position.

16. The lancing device of claim 14 , wherein the interlock is disposed within the housing to engage the lancet when the lancet is moved into the cocked position by the insertion of the lancet.