Blood sampling device

A lancet cartridge for a lancing device comprising:

• a plurality of lancets, each lancet comprising a protective cap;
• a carrier retaining said plurality of lancets in a plane and defining a path of travel within the plane for each of said plurality of lancets;
• at least one guide member in engagement with the protective cap of each of said plurality of lancets;
• and
• a spring biasing the protective cap of each of said plurality of lancets out of the plane;
• wherein each spring comprises a loop having a pair of legs and a cross-member extending between the legs, said cross-member engaging the protective cap of each of said plurality of lancets.

A lancet cartridge comprising:

• at least one lancet having a protective cap removably mounted thereon, said at least one lancet constrained to a generally linear path of travel;
• and
• a spring for biasing the protective cap of each lancet out of the path of travel upon separation of the protective cap from the lancet;
• wherein each lancet is slidably mounted on a carrier, said carrier comprising walls defining a path of travel for each lancet;
• and
• wherein each spring comprises a generally U-shaped member having a pair of legs straddling said walls, and a cross-member extending between the pair of legs, and wherein the path of travel of each lancet extends through said generally U-shaped member.

A lancet cartridge for replaceable insertion in a lancing device, said cassette comprising:

• a disk-shaped carrier having a first face comprising a series of teeth for cooperative engagement with an advancing mechanism of the lancing device and a second face comprising walls defining a plurality of radial paths;
• a plurality of lancets, each lancet translationally mounted in one of said radial paths;
• and
• a spring for biasing a separable endcap portion of each lancet out of a plane defined by the plurality of radial paths;
• wherein the separable endcap portion of each lancet defines at least one groove extending along a side face thereof, and wherein said carrier comprises a guide member in engagement with each said groove to guide the end cap in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane defined by the plurality of radial paths upon separation of said end cap from the lancet.