Lancing device having saddle-shaped tip
A tip ( 41 ) for use with a lancing device ( 11 ). A wall extends upwardly from a base and forms a substantially saddle-shaped distal surface for interfacing with a patient's skin. An opening ( 43 ) extends entirely through the tip. The tip ( 41 ) is movably received by a pressure sleeve assembly. The pressure sleeve assembly includes a housing ( 37 ) and a pressure sleeve movable between first and second positions. A spring ( 35 ) is connected between the housing ( 37 ) and the pressure sleeve. A lancet ( 21 ) is rigidly fixed to the housing ( 37 ) and is covered when the pressure sleeve is in the first position and exposed through the substantially saddle-shaped distal surface ( 42 ) of the tip ( 41 ) when the pressure sleeve is in the second position. The substantially saddleshaped distal surface ( 42 ) gathers the patient's skin toward the center of the tip to facilitate expressing blood from a lanced site.
1. A tip for use with a lancing device, comprising:
a base having an outer perimeter;
a wall extending upwardly from said base and forming a substantially saddle-shaped distal surface for interfacing with a patient's skin, said distal surface has a minor saddle angle between approximately 15 and 20 degrees, inclusive and a major saddle angle between approximately 45 and 60 degrees, inclusive;
an opening extending entirely through said tip, and
a lancet positioned within said opening for lancing the patient's skin.
2. The saddle-shaped tip according to claim 1 , wherein
said opening is substantially circular.
3. The saddle-shaped tip according to claim 1 , wherein
said opening is substantially oval.
4. The saddle-shaped tip according to claim 1 , wherein
said outer perimeter is substantially circular.
5. The saddle-shaped tip according to claim 1 , wherein
said outer perimeter is substantially oval.
6. A lancing device, comprising:
a tip having a substantially saddle-shaped distal surface for interfacing with a patient's skin, said distal surface having a minor saddle angle between approximately 15 and 20 degrees inclusive, and a major saddle angle between approximately 45 and 60 degrees inclusive; and
a pressure sleeve assembly movably receiving said tip, said pressure sleeve assembly including
a housing;
a pressure sleeve movable between first and second positions;
a spring connected between said housing and said pressure sleeve; and
a lancet rigidly fixed to said housing, said lancet being covered when said pressure sleeve is in said first position and said lancet being exposed through said substantially saddle-shaped distal surface of said tip when said pressure sleeve is in said second position.
7. The lancing device according to claim 6 , wherein
said tip is connected to said pressure sleeve such that movement of said tip moves said pressure sleeve.
8. The lancing device according to claim 6 , wherein
said lancet is removably connected to said housing.
9. The lancing device according to claim 6 , wherein
said spring returns said pressure sleeve to said first position.
10. The lancing device according to claim 6 , wherein
an oval opening is formed in said tip through which said lancet passes.
11. The lancing device according to claim 6 , wherein
a circular opening is formed in said tip through which said lancet passes.
12. The lancing device according to claim 6 , wherein
said lancing device is received by a glucose monitoring device.
13. The lancing device according to claim 6 , wherein
said distal surface has a circular cross section.
14. The lancing device according to claim 6 , wherein
said distal surface has an oval cross section.
15. The lancing device according to claim 6 , wherein
said housing a substantially planar surface opposite said tip for providing stability to said lancing device when applying pressure to said tip.
16. A method of drawing blood, comprising the steps of
interfacing a distal surface of a tip of a lancing device with a patient's skin at a lancing site, the distal surface of the tip being substantially saddle-shaped said distal surface having a minor saddle angle between approximately 15 and 20 degrees inclusive, and a major saddle angle between approximately 45 and 60 degrees inclusive; and
passing a needle through the saddle-shaped distal surface of the tip to lance the patient's skin at the lancing site.
17. A method of drawing blood according to claim 16 , further comprising
applying pressure to the tip to pass the needle through the saddle-shaped distal surface of the tip to lance the patient's skin at the lancing site.
18. A method of drawing blood according to claim 16 , further comprising
activating a trigger mechanism to pass the needle through the saddle-shaped distal surface of the tip to lance the patient's skin at the lancing site.