Lancet needle with alignment and retention notch

A lancet comprising:

• a lancet needle and a lancet body molded over a portion of the lancet needle;
• wherein the lancet body has a head portion and a body portion, the combination of the head and body portions having a length LB;
• wherein the lancet body further comprises the head portion at a first end of the lancet body and the body portion at a second end of the lancet body, the second end being positioned opposite the first end of the lancet body;
• wherein the lancet head portion comprises a generally circular profile and the lancet body portion comprises a generally oblong profile, the lancet body portion having a first substantially flat side and a second substantially flat side opposite the first side;
• wherein the lancet needle having a lancet needle length LN no more than 75% of the lancet body length LB comprises an elongate needle body having a sharp lancing tip and a notch, a portion of the needle body being embedded within the lancet body, the embedded portion having a length LM no more than 50% of the lancet body LB, the notch formed at least partially on the embedded portion of the needle body and engaged with a portion of the lancet body between the first and second end thereof, and the sharp lancing tip projecting from an end of the needle body opposite the embedded portion, and;
• wherein the sharp lancing tip comprises a bevel;
• and
• wherein the notch is configured for alignment with a cooperative mold tooling, the alignment providing a consistent registration between the bevel, the notch, and the lancet body when the lancet body is molded over the embedded portion of the needle body.

A multi-lancet strip comprising at least two lancets removably coupled together forming an array of lancets, each lancet comprising a lancet body having a length LB and a lancet needle having a length LN no more than 75% of the lancet body length LB,

• the lancet body extending from a first end having a head portion to a second end having a body portion wherein the body portion extends transversely from the head portion towards the second end opposite the first end, the head portion comprising a generally circular profile and the lancet body portion comprising a generally oblong profile with a first substantially flat side and a second substantially flat side opposite the first side,
• the lancet needle comprising a needle body having a first end and a second end, the needle body having a sharp lancing tip at the first end and a semi-circumferential notch near the second end, the sharp lancing tip forming a bevel and projecting from the first end of the lancet body, the second end of the needle body being embedded within the lancet body wherein the needle body is immovable relative to the lancet body, the embedded portion having a length LM no more than 50% of the lancet body length LB, and the notch at least partially engaging with a portion of the lancet body between the first and second end thereof, and
• wherein every lancet of the multi-lancet strip comprises a substantially identical and predefined registration between the bevel, the notch and the lancet body.

A method for manufacturing a lancet comprising:

• providing a lancet needle of length LN comprising a generally elongate body extending along a longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end, the first end comprising a bevel forming a sharp tip portion, and a notch formed on the elongate body between the first and second ends, the bevel having a first orientation and the notch having a predetermined second orientation relative to the first orientation of the bevel;
• aligning the notch of the lancet needle within a mold;
• and
• molding a lancet body of length LB within the mold and around the lancet needle the lancet body comprising a head portion with a generally circular profile at a first end of the lancet body and a body portion with a generally oblong profile at a second end of the lancet body, the body portion extending transversely from the head portion towards the second end of the lancet body opposite the first end,
• wherein a portion of the lancet needle at its second end is embedded within head and body portions of the lancet body, forming an embedded portion of length LM no more than 50% of the lancet body length LB,
• wherein the lancet needle length Le is no more than 50% of the lancet length Le,
• wherein the notch of the lancet needle is at least partially embedded in the lancet body, and wherein the notch of the lancet needle is aligned within the mold such that the notch is oriented substantially perpendicular to the needle body and the flat sides of the lancet body aligning the bevel in a predetermined rotational orientation relative to the lancet body.