Body fluid sampling device and methods of use

A lancing device for lancing skin to sample blood or interstitial fluid, comprising:

• a housing;
• a lancet carrier carrying a disposable lancet member, the disposable lancet member includes a body holding a skin lancing member, a capillary tube, and a pusher member for pushing the capillary tube forward relative to the carrier for drawing-in fluid from the lanced skin, the carrier installable into a front end of the housing and being movable relative thereto;
• a cockable spring-biased hammer mechanism for displacing the lancet carrier forwardly to lance the skin;
• a latch-releasing mechanism for releasing a latch;
• and
• a safety device normally disposed in a safety position for preventing the hammer mechanism from being cocked, and being movable to a non-safety position in response to installation of the lancet carrier into the housing for enabling the hammer mechanism to be cocked.

A lancing device for lancing skin to sample blood or interstitial fluid, comprising:

• a housing;
• a carrier carrying a disposable lancet member, the disposable lancet member including a body having a skin-lancing member and a capillary tube;
• a spring-biased hammer for pushing the carrier so that the lancet lances the skin;
• and
• a pusher member for pushing the capillary tube forwardly relative to the carrier for drawing-in fluid from lanced skin.

A sampling device for sampling body fluid, comprising:

• a housing defining a longitudinal axis;
• incision-forming means mounted in the housing for forming an incision through a skin surface;
• a stimulator member mounted at a forward end of the housing and being depressible against the skin to depress a ring of body tissue in surrounding relationship to the skin for urging body fluid toward and outwardly through the incision to form a drop of body fluid at an open end of the incision;
• a capillary tube;
• and
• a pusher member for moving the capillary tube forwardly within the housing for drawing-in the body fluid.

A method of taking a sample of body fluid, comprising the steps of:

• A) abutting a forward end of a housing against a skin surface of a user's body;
• B) forming an incision through the skin surface;
• C) pressing the housing against the skin surface a plurality of times to repeatedly depress a ring of body tissue in surrounding relationship to the incision to urge body fluid toward and outwardly through the incision to form a drop of body fluid at an open end of the incision;
• D) extending the capillary tube forwardly relative to the carrier;
• and
• E) inserting a forward end of the capillary tube into the drop of body fluid to draw-in the body fluid.