Blood lancet device for withdrawing blood for diagnostic purposes

A disposable blood lancet device for insertion into a lancet driver for use in withdrawing blood for diagnostic purposes,

• said disposable lancet device comprising a lancet body made of a plastic material, an exchangeable skin contact part and a lancet needle fixed in the lancet body,
• the exchangeable skin-contact part being attached to the lancet body, said exchangeable skin-contact part having a contact surface for pressing against the skin when using the disposable blood lancet device,
• wherein the disposable lancet device is intended for once-only use and can be inserted into an anterior end of a lancet driver in a single handling operation,
• wherein the skin-contact part and lancet body are connected to one another by a first predetermined breaking section by means of which the skin-contact part and the lancet body are separable from one another following insertion of the disposable item.

A method for puncturing the skin of a patient for withdrawing blood for diagnostic purposes utilizing a lancet driver for driving a tip of a needle of a disposable lancet device into the patients skin comprising;

• inserting a disposable lancet device comprising a lancet body a lancet needle fixed in the lancet body, and an exchangeable skin-contact part as a unit into an anterior end of a housing of the lancet driver with the lancet body and needle being located within said housing of the said lancet drive and with a surface of the skin-contact part extending outwardly of the lancet driver housing,
• breaking a breaking section connecting the lancet body and the skin-contact part to disconnect the skin-contact part form the lancet body without removing the skin-contact part from being held by the housing,
• placing the outward surface of the skin-contact part against the skin of the patient without removing the skin contact part from being held by the housing;
• actuating the lancet driver to cause the lancet body to move toward the anterior end of the lancet driver housing and relative to the skin-contact part wherein a tip of the needle fixed in the lancet body passes through the skin-contact part and into the patients skin.