Lancet needle with alignment and retention notch
AssigneeFacet Technologies, LLC
InventorKevin J. SEIFERT
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lancet needle with an alignment and engagement notch, with material of the lancet body extending into the notch to more securely retain the needle to the lancet body, whereby a shorter needle can be utilized than with typical lancets. The notch optionally also provides a registration point for rotational and/or axial alignment of the needle during overmolding to form the lancet body, for example to maintain consistent positioning of the needle's beveled point.
Claims19
A lancet comprising:
- a lancet body having a length LB and comprising a head portion and a body portion;
- a lancing needle having a length LN no more than 75% the lancing body length LB and comprising an elongate needle body, an embedded portion having length LM no more than 50% the lancet body length LB, a sharp tip exposed from the head portion of the lancet body opposite the body portion, and a notch, wherein the embedded portion is embedded within the lancet body;
- wherein the notch is formed at least partially on the embedded portion;
- and
- wherein the sharp tip is formed on an end of the elongate needle body opposite the embedded portion.
A multi-lancet array comprising at least two lancets removably coupled together, each 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;
- wherein the lancet body further comprises the head portion at a forward end of the lancet body and the body portion at a distal end of the lancet body, the distal 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 and extending perpendicularly from the lancet head portion;
- wherein the lancet needle 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 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 notch is configured for alignment with a cooperative mold tooling, the alignment providing a consistent registration between the sharp lancing tip, the notch, and the lancet body when the lancet body is molded over the embedded portion of the needle body.
A method for manufacturing a lancet comprising:
- providing a lancet needle of length LN comprising a generally elongate body having a first end comprising a sharp tip portion, and a notch formed on the generally elongate body between the first end and a second end opposite the first end;
- 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 at a first end of the lancet body and a body portion at a second end of the lancet body, wherein the notch of the lancet needle is at least partially embedded in the lancet body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.