Methods and apparatus for sampling and analyzing body fluid

A sampling device for body fluid by forming an incision on a skin surface, comprising:

• a housing;
• a lancet carrier mounted in the housing supporting a disposable lancet;
• a longitudinally slidable stimulator sleeve disposed within the housing and surrounding the lancet carrier, the sleeve constructed such that by the application of downward force on the housing, the sleeve is pressed against the skin surface;
• a mechanism for displacing the lancet carrier toward a lower end of the housing for forming an incision through the skin of a user;
• and
• a strip-holding mechanism mounted at a lower end of the housing for supporting a test strip across the lower end of the housing to enable the test strip to pick-up body fluid from the incision.

A method of sampling body fluid comprising the steps of:

• A) positioning a lower end of a sampling device against a skin surface;
• B) displacing a lancet toward the lower end of the sampling device to form an incision through the skin;
• C) repeatedly depressing an area of the skin surrounding the incision by applying a downward force to the housing a sufficient number of times to express a drop of body fluid from the incision;
• D) mounting a test strip in the sampling device to extend across the lower end thereof;
• and
• E) moving the sampling device toward the incision to bring the test strip into contact with body fluid emerging from the incision.