Lancet cartridge

A lancet cartridge for drawing blood samples from the finger of a patient comprising a first housing member for receiving a lancet disk defining a plurality of radially extending lancets, each lancet defining a free, flexible end, said end defining a tooth projecting in transverse relation to the axis of said lancet, said lancet disk being carried with said first housing member in rotationally immovable relation;

• a second housing member engaging said first housing member and enclosing said lancet disk, said second housing member being rotatable relative to said first housing member and lancet disk, said second housing member defining aperture means positioned to permit the free end and tooth of at least one lancet to pass into said aperture means by flex motion, means for retaining said lancet in a position spaced from said aperture within said first and second housing members, and means for releasing said lancet from said position to cause it to drive forward, acting as its own spring, into said aperture, whereby blood may be drawn from a patient having a finger positioned at said aperture.

A lancet cartridge for drawing blood samples from the finger of the patient comprising first and second housing members in rotatable relation with each other and enclosing a lancet cartridge comprising a lancet disc having a plurality of radially extending lancets, each lancet having a free, flexible end, and a tooth projecting from said end in a direction transverse to the axis of said lancet;

• the lancet disc being in rotatably fixed relation with said first housing member, said second housing member defining a ramp for receiving the free ends of said lancets, said housing member also defining a platform to receive and cock the free ends of said lancets, said ramp functioning to sequentially elevate said lancets into engagement with said platform as the second housing member is rotated relative to the first housing member, to place each lancet sequentially into a cocked position;
• trigger means for releasing the cocked lancet from said platform, whereby, one said lancet is released from engagement with said platform by said trigger means, the lancet acting as its own spring to snap said free end and tooth into the opening, whereby said tooth can pierce a patient's finger placed at said opening.