LANCING DEVICE AND MULTI-LANCET CARTRIDGE

1 - 25 . (canceled)

26 . A lancing device for use with at least one lancet, comprising:

a housing having an internal portion and an external portion;

a drive member slidably disposed within the housing and adapted to engage the lancet, the drive member having a rearwardly extending arm with a barb projecting therefrom;

a elongated flexing arm coupled to the internal portion of the housing and having a release member configured to engage the barb when the drive member moves to a cocked position; and

an actuator button mounted to the flexing arm and configured to move the release member out of engagement with the barb when the actuator button is depressed by a user, wherein the drive member is thereby released from the cocked position.

27 . The lancing device of claim 26 , wherein the release member defines a channel having at least one sear surface, wherein the drive member extends through the channel to permit the barb to engage the sear surface when the drive member is in the cocked position.

28 . The lancing device of claim 27 , wherein the sear surface is moved out of engagement with the barb when the actuator button is depressed by the user.

29 . The lancing device of claim 26 , wherein the external portion of the housing includes a trigger aperture through which at least a portion of the actuator button projects for engagement by a user.

30 . The lancing device of claim 26 , wherein the flexing arm is in the form of a resilient cantilever extending from the internal portion of the housing, the flexing arm movable to position the release member into and out of a ready position in which the release member engages the barb.

31 . The lancing device of claim 30 where the flexing arm resiliently urges the release member into the ready position when the actuator button is released by the user.

32 . The lancing device of claim 26 , wherein the release member comprises spaced apart sidewalls having planar surfaces that are parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing and a cross member extending between the sidewalls and defining at least one surface that engages the barb.

33 . A lancing device for use with at least one lancet, comprising:

a housing;

a movable cage disposed within the housing and including at least one sear surface;

a drive member slidably disposed within the cage and having a barb that engages the sear surface when the drive member is in a cocked position; and

a button mounted to the cage and configured to move the sear surface out of engagement with the barb when the button is depressed by the user, whereby the drive member is released to fire the lancing device.

34 . The lancing device of claim 33 , wherein the cage includes a body portion and a flexible member extending from the body portion, the flexible member forming a shutter that receives the drive member and defines the sear surface.

35 . The lancing device of claim 34 , wherein the flexible member resiliently urges the sear surface into engagement with the barb when the driver is in the cocked position.

36 . The lancing device of claim 33 , wherein the drive member includes an arm projecting therefrom in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing, and wherein the barb extends from the arm to engage the sear surface.

37 . The lancing device of claim 33 , further comprising a housing that contains the cage and the drive member, wherein the housing includes a trigger aperture through which at least a portion of the button extends.

38 . The lancing device of claim 33 , wherein the drive member is adapted to releasably engage the lancet.

39 . A lancing device for use with at least one lancet having a needle terminating in a sharp tip, comprising:

a housing having a longitudinal axis and a piercing aperture;

a drive mechanism disposed within the housing to project the sharp tip of the lancet through the piercing aperture, the drive mechanism including a drive member movable along the longitudinal axis of the housing between at least a rearward cocked position and a forward firing position; and a drive spring coupled to the drive member to urge the drive member forward when the drive member is in the rearward cocked position;

an elongated arm extending from the drive member in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing, the elongated arm having a barb projecting therefrom;

a member fixed within the housing and having a flexing arm extending therefrom, the flexing arm including near its distal end a release member defining a channel through which the elongated arm of the drive mechanism extends, the release member configured to engage the barb when the drive member moves to the cocked position; and

a button mounted to the flexing arm and configured to move the release member out of engagement with the barb when the button is depressed by a user, wherein the drive member is thereby released from the docked position to fire the lancing device.

40 . The lancing device of claim 39 , wherein the release member defines a channel having at least one cross member extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing, wherein the drive member extends through the channel to permit the barb to engage the cross member when the drive member is in the cocked position.

41 . The lancing device of claim 40 , wherein the cross member is moved out of engagement with the barb when the button is depressed by the user.

42 . The lancing device of claim 39 , wherein the housing includes a trigger button aperture through which at least a portion of the button projects for engagement by the user.

43 . The lancing device of claim 39 , wherein the flexing arm is in the form of a resilient cantilever extending from the member, and the flexing arm urges the release member into engagement with the barb.

44 . The lancing device of claim 39 , wherein the release member comprises spaced apart sidewalls having planar surfaces that are parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing and a cross member extending between the sidewalls and defining at least one surface that engages the barb.