Handheld Medical Diagnostic Devices With Sample Transfer

A portable handheld medical diagnostic device for sampling bodily fluids, comprising:

• a protective enclosure;
• a measurement system including a controller facilitating a physiologic measurement;
• a display device connected to the measurement system that displays information related to the physiologic measurement;
• a housing structure comprising:
• an outer facing side;
• an inner facing side;
• an opening located at the outer facing side that is arranged and configured to align with a lancet port of the medical diagnostic device;
• and
• a floor that extends between the outer facing side and the inner facing side;
• a reagent material located on the floor and within the housing structure;
• and
• a lancet structure located in the housing structure, the lancet structure comprising a skin penetrating end aligned initially in a first plane with the opening and a blood transport portion adjacent the skin penetrating end, wherein the skin penetrating end is configured to extend in the first plane when extended through the opening and, when extended through the opening, is shaped and sized to penetrate the patient's skin at the skin site to provide an amount of blood, and further is configured to be extended and retracted by a drive member, and a biasing mechanism is configured to force the lancet structure toward the floor when the lancet is retracted to a second plane parallel to the first plane and offset from the opening, the drive member is configured to pass over the lancet structure when the drive member is moved toward the opening and the lancet structure is in the second plane, and the blood transport portion being arranged and configured to receive the amount of blood from the skin penetrating end in the second plane and to carry the amount of blood away from the skin site and to the reagent material.

A method of controlling movement of a lancet structure provided within a lancet housing assembly in a portable handheld medical diagnostic device for sampling bodily fluids from a skin site of a patient, the method comprising:

• providing a lancet structure located the lancet housing assembly, wherein the lancet housing assembly is configured to have an outer facing side and an opening located at the outer facing side that is arranged and configured to align with a lancet port of the medical diagnostic device, the lancet structure comprising a skin penetrating end aligned initially in a first plane with the opening and a blood transport portion adjacent the skin penetrating end, wherein the skin penetrating end is configured to extend in the first plane when extended through the opening and, when extended through the opening, is shaped and sized to penetrate the patient's skin at the skin site to provide an amount of blood, and further is configured to be extended and retracted by a drive member, and a biasing mechanism is configured to force the lancet structure toward a lancet floor when the lancet is retracted to a second plane parallel to the first plane and offset from the opening, the drive member is configured to pass over the lancet structure when the drive member is moved toward the opening and the lancet structure is in the second plane, and the blood transport portion being arranged and configured to receive the amount of blood from the skin penetrating end in the second plane and to carry the amount of blood away from the skin site and to a reagent material located on the floor within the at least one lancet compartment;
• extending the skin penetrating end through a port of the medical diagnostic device and penetrating the patient's skin at the skin site to provide an amount of blood;
• receiving the amount of blood at the skin penetrating end;
• and
• carrying the amount of blood away from the skin site to the reagent material using the blood transport portion.