Single-use lancet device

A single-use disposable lancet device comprising:

• a body having an upper portion and a lower portion,
• a trigger carried by said upper portion of said body, said trigger movable between a first raised position in which the device is cocked and a second depressed position in which the device is fired,
• a needle assembly movable between a cocked position and a striking position,
• a drive spring for moving said needle assembly from its cocked position to its striking position,
• trigger bar means having a first position wherein said trigger bar means holds said needle assembly in its cocked position and having a second position wherein said needle assembly is movable to its striking position by said drive spring, wherein said trigger bar means is integrally molded as a part of said lower body portion,
• blade means carried by said trigger, and as said trigger moves from its first position to its second position, said blade means severs a portion of said trigger bar means causing said partially severed trigger bar means to release said needle assembly from its cocked position and thereafter preventing said partially severed trigger bar means from holding said needle assembly in its cocked position, thereby limiting the device to a single use.

A single-use disposable lancet device comprising:

• a body having an upper portion and a lower portion,
• a trigger carried by said upper portion of said body, said trigger movable between a first raised position in which the device is cocked and a second depressed position in which the device is fired,
• a needle assembly movable between a cocked position and a striking position,
• a free-floating drive spring for moving said needle assembly from its cocked position to its striking position,
• a bounceback spring means integrally formed with said needle assembly,
• trigger bar means having a first position wherein said trigger bar means holds said needle assembly in its cocked position and having a second position wherein said needle assembly is moved to its striking position by said drive spring,
• blade means carried by said trigger, and as said trigger moves from its first position to its second position, said blade means severs a portion of said trigger bar means whereby said partially severed trigger bar means releases said needle assembly from its cocked position and said partially severed trigger bar means is thereafter not capable of holding said needle assembly in its cocked position, thereby limiting the device to a single use.

A single-use disposable lancet device comprising:

• a body having an upper portion and a lower portion,
• a trigger carried by said upper portion of said body, said trigger movable between a first raised position in which the device is cocked and a second depressed position in which the device is fired,
• a needle assembly movable between a cocked position and a striking position,
• a drive spring for moving said needle assembly from its cocked position to its striking position,
• trigger bar means having a first position wherein said trigger bar means holds said needle assembly in its cocked position and having a second position wherein said needle assembly is moved to its striking position by said drive spring, wherein said trigger bar means is integrally molded as part of said lower body portion,
• blade means carried by said trigger, and as said trigger moves from its first position to its second position, said blade means irreparably breaks a portion of said trigger bar means whereby said broken trigger bar means releases said needle assembly from its cocked position and said broken trigger bar means is thereafter not capable of holding said needle assembly in its cocked position, thereby limiting the device to a single use.

The method of automatically assembling a lancet device in a cocked position, wherein the components of said lancet device include an upper body portion having proximal and distal ends, a lower body portion having proximal and distal ends, a mainspring and a needle assembly having a removable tailpiece, and wherein an opening is formed in said proximal ends of one or both of said body portions of said device for temporarily receiving said tailpiece, comprising the steps:

• supporting said lower body portion,
• automatically loading said mainspring onto said tailpiece,
• automatically compressing said mainspring on said tailpiece,
• automatically and temporarily holding said compressed mainspring on said tailpiece,
• automatically loading said needle assembly with said compressed mainspring into said lower body portion,
• automatically closing the device by attaching said upper body portion to said lower body portion, and
• severing said tailpiece from said needle assembly, leaving said cocked mainspring in position ready to cause said needle assembly to fire.

The method of assembling a lancet device in a cocked position, wherein the components of said lancet device include an upper body portion having proximal and distal ends, a lower body portion having proximal and distal ends, a mainspring and a needle assembly having a removable tailpiece, and wherein an opening is formed in said proximal ends of one or both of said body portions of said device for temporarily receiving said tailpiece, comprising the steps:

• supporting said lower body portion,
• loading said mainspring onto said tailpiece,
• compressing said mainspring on said tailpiece,
• temporarily holding said compressed mainspring on said tailpiece,
• loading said needle assembly with said compressed mainspring into said lower body portion,
• closing the device by attaching said upper body portion to said lower body portion,and
• severing said tailpiece from said needle assembly, leaving said cocked mainspring in position ready to cause said needle assembly to fire.